I start this editorial on a sad note expressing my grief and deep sorrow for the unexpected passing of one of our faithful contributors-Ilsa B. Reyes. At the age of 52, the Lord God called her to His heavenly dwelling place. Ilsa has been our regular contributor since 2018 penning well written pieces on a variety of topics with a balanced perspective.
She was an excellent communicator, conveying words of hope and consolation to those who sought her help. Like so many other people, we will miss her. We trust she will continue her mission of intercession for us in heaven. Thank you, Lord, for Ilsa’s life here on earth. Welcome her into your resting abode.
October is traditionally known as the “month of mission” because the celebration of World Mission Sunday occurs on the penultimate Sunday of the month. This year, it falls on October 23.
On this special Sunday, all Catholics are invited in a particular way to support the mission of the Church around the world with donations and prayers.
On this occasion, the Pope issues a message reminding Christians of their duty to support the evangelization efforts worldwide. For this year, Pope Francis wrote a message focused on the phrase, “You shall be my witnesses.”
The papal message revolves around three main sentences which sum up the three foundations of the mission of every disciple: “You shall be my witnesses,” “to the ends of the earth” and “you shall receive the power of the Holy Spirit.”
“Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ,” writes the Pope. The Church’s principal mission is to bring the Gospel to the whole world and bear witness to Christ.
In the second foundation of the Christian mission “to the ends of the earth,” Pope Francis writes that because of persecution in the early days of Christianity, Christians fled their territories, bringing the Gospel to new lands and peoples. Nowadays, Christians are challenged to go forth into new geographical and human areas in order to bear witness to Christ’s love to all peoples.
In the third foundation of the mission “You will receive power from the Holy Spirit,” the Pope says that the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in evangelization; actually, it is the protagonist of the mission.
Pope Francis concludes his message by sharing his dream of a Church that is “completely missionary.” By virtue of baptism, Christians are missionaries in the power of the Holy Spirit to the ends of the earth.
