On behalf of His Excellency, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes, I would like to welcome missionaries who are eagerly waiting to share their stories and activities with parishes in the diocese. The annual Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP) will be held throughout the diocese from May until September.
This year, 35 missionaries will be preaching on weekends at assigned parishes. They include a remarkable number of diocesan bishops, priests, religious sisters and laity who are inflamed with the zeal for souls and do ministry in globally for the greater glory of Christ. Thus, you become partakers of the mission of the Lord and your mission support enriches the Universal mission of the Church!
The Eucharist is the primary proclamation of the love of Christ through His death and resurrection. It is the heart of the Gospel. How can we ignore the pitiful clamoring of so many neglected people suffering material and spiritual want in mission lands? Vatican Council II clearly equates the renewal of mission spirit strongly marked by our sacrifice to follow the narrow path of our Lord. “The grace of renewal cannot grow in communities unless each of them expands the range of its charity to the ends of the earth, and has the same concern for those who are far away as it has for its members” (Ad Gentes, 37). God is calling us and counting on us to share the riches of the Gospel with those who are in mission lands through our generous giving and complete gift of ourselves.
Let us ponder the words of Pope John XXIII, “No one today in a world where distance no longer counts can give the excuse that the needs of his faraway brother are not known to him, nor can one say that the task of helping his brother is not his concern.” We can together carry out the missions of the Church and continue to foster and transform many in the light of Christ, who commanded us to spread the Gospel to the whole world. We also have to foster vocations that are consecrated for the work of Gospel. Let us humbly serve Christ to promote His kingdom.
Quoting Blessed Carlo, “The infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven.” If we want enjoy eternal salvation, we must love our brothers and sisters in need, wherever they are and from wherever they came. In fact, universal fraternity is necessary for everyone. Jesus reminds us that what we do to the “least of others” we do to Him (Mat: 25:31-46). Jesus is the companion of the poor, the hungry, the stranger, the immigrant, the sick, the imprisoned, the misunderstood. Let us hear the cry of the poor and console them by our act of charity.
As the Pope Francis teaches that “the Church is missionary. She exists so that every man and woman may encounter Jesus.” (Pope Francis). I pray that may our act of love be genuine, fruitful, and glorify God through our self-giving to others with what God stored in our lives. We can offer our sickness, pain, penance, prayers for the missionaries and it will worth it because our offerings accompany them and it make them effective in their proclamation of the Gospel. The redemptive value of suffering provides them heavenly graces.
The Mission Appeal program provides a way to centralize the efforts of missionary organizations from around the world who wish to appeal to our Diocese and, at the same time, relate to parishioners, firsthand, their mission experiences, personally appealing for prayers and support. The plan gives parishioners an opportunity to learn about missions at home and abroad as well as the opportunity to assist mission organizations financially in their efforts to spread the Gospel.
We are so grateful to the faithful in our diocese for your continued support and prayers for the missionary activity of the Church. You have responded generously to missionaries who visited your parishes in summer time (May to September) through the Missionary Cooperation Plan (MCP) to share their mission and needs. Prayer is the key element in mission spirituality. Let us be empowered by the Holy Spirit as we pursue the Church’s mission to all nations.
Our Lady Queen of Missions, pray for us!
