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CHARITY:
SOUL OF MISSIONS
Homily
Format and/or Lesson Plan for World Mission Sunday
(2006 October
22)
Prepared
by Msgr. Gilbert A. Garcera, HP
World Mission Sunday Readings:
Is. 53:10-11 / Heb. 4:14-16 / Mk. 10: 35-45
Opening
"Anyone
among you who aspires to greatness must serve the
rest; whoever, wants to rank first among you must
serve the needs of all. The son of Man has not come
to be served but to serve - to give his life
in ransom for the many" (Mk. 10: 44)
"He
who loves comes from God and knows God" (1 John
4:7)
Context
What
do you usually ask God whenever you pray? During
this Sunday mass, what particular grace you would
want Jesus to grant you? You could ennumerate
as many requests as you wish like James and John
in the Gospel. "See to it that we sit one at
your right, and the other at your left, when you
come into your glory."
Many
times we only consider our needs (to pass an examination,
to pay debt, to be in good health and others). These
are good and worth asking graces.
But
have we asked ourselves what Jesus wants of us?
Jesus
said to James and John: "Anyone among you who
aspires to greatness must serve the rest; whoever,
wants to rank first among you must serve the needs
of all."
Exposition
We
all want to be great. Many of you aspire to be known… to
be popular and to be kahanga-hanga. However,
what is this greatness according to Jesus?
1.
Service animated by love.
Jesus
made it clear that those who will be great in the
kingdom of heaven are those who humble themselves
as a child (Mr. 18:1-4), who are poor in spirit (Mt.
5:4) and those who lower themselves instead
of exalting themselves.
The
Gospel of this Sunday presents to us Jesus’ challenge
to James and John "Anyone among you who aspires
to greatness must serve the rest; whoever, wants
to rank first among you must serve the needs of all."
It
is important to know that greatness and service must
be animated by charity. Unless service flows from
a profound act of divine love, our services are reduced
to a mere philanthropic and social action. The love
which God has for each single person constitutes,
in fact, the very core of living and preaching the
Gospel, and all who hear it in turn, become witnesses
(rf. Papal message for World Mission Sunday 2006).
2.
Vocation to make God known
Jesus
is the model of this greatness and exemplary service. "In
this is manifest the love of God for us: God sent
his only Son into the world so that we may have life
in him" (1 John 4:9). Even when man lost their
friendship with God, God did not abandon them. He
promised salvation to them and pre announced the
redeemer, who would reveal to man the Father's
love.
The
death of Jesus on the cross is the culmination of
the love which He showed to man. "It is from
there that our definition of Love must begin. In
this contemplation the Christian discovers the path
along which his life and love must move" (Pope
Benedict, Deus Caritas Est no.12).
In
today’s Gospel, Jesus admonished the apostles
James and John that the "son of Man has not
come to be served but to serve – to give his
life in ransom for the many" (Mk. 10:
44).
This
is the invitation of Jesus to us. Jesus is inviting
us to make known the love of God. This I command
you: love one another (Jn. 15:17). "He
who loves comes from God and knows God" (1 John
4:7)
(Note:
The preacher might want to give biblical passages
and/or personal sharing on how God’s
love has been experienced and how we have responded
to share to other the love of God)
Story:
Some time ago in the Lodwar savannah, an almost desert
region in the North of Kenya behind the refugee camps
of Somalia and Ethiopia,
an event took place that leads to reflect. Moved
by a pressing request for aid, some missionaries
were brought into the region with a truck of food,
water, clothing and medicine. Throughout the day,
missionaries, sisters and lay volunteers continued
to distribute many basic commodities to the people.
Towards evening, however, an elderly man from the
village approached one of the missionaries and whispered
in his ear, "Father, that’s enough food
now! Talk to us about God."
3.
Love: soul of mission (excerpts taken from World
Mission Message 2006)
To
love according to God, we must live in Him and by
Him: the first home of man is God and only he who lives
in God, burns with the fire of divine charity to
the degree of enkindling the whole world.
This
is our duty. This is our mission – to enkindle
in them the fire of Divine love.
To
be missionaries then means to love God with all one's
heart, even to the point of giving one's life for
him. How many priests, men and women religious and
laity, even in our time, have rendered supreme witness
of their love for him by their martyrdom!
Story:
The Nuba (a people from the south of Sudan)
appreciate reading the Bible, but they are especially
attentive to listening to life. One elderly Nuba
man said he became a Christian because the first
missionary her saw took an interest in his life. "I
asked myself why this white man was interested in
me and my family and concerned if my daughter is
sick. What makes him different form the traders and
travelers that pass by here? I discovered that he
lived the Gospel." The missionary let him experience
love, which transcends any division of language,
culture and people.
Integration
(The
part is taken form the closing paragraph of Pope
Benedict in his World Mission Sunday message, 2006)
World
Mission Day is an appropriate occasion for better
understanding that witness of love, soul of the mission,
concerns everyone. Indeed to serve the Gospel can
never be considered a solitary adventure, but a binding
duty for every community.
Along
with all those who operate on the front line of evangelization—and
here I remember with gratitude all missionaries—I
also think of many others, children, young and old
who by their prayers and cooperation in many ways
contribute to the spreading of the kingdom of God
on earth.
My
wish is that this participation may always increase
through the financial contribution of all.
I
take this opportunity to express my gratitude to
the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
and to the Pontifical Missionary Societies. They
coordinate with dedication the worldwide efforts
of all who contribute to the work of those in the
front line of missionary activities.
Question
and Answer
Q.
What is the challenge of Jesus
in today’s Gospel?
A.
The Gospel of this Sunday presents to us Jesus’ challenge
to James and John “Anyone among you who aspires
to greatness must serve the rest; whoever, wants
to rank first among you must serve the needs of all.”
Q.
How does Pope Benedict explain greatness and service?
A.
Greatness and service must be animated by charity.
Unless service flows from a profound act of divine
love, our services are reduced to a mere philanthropic
and social action. The love which God has for each
single person constitutes, in fact, the very core
of living and preaching the Gospel, and all who hear
it in turn, become witnesses.
Q.
What is our calling as Christians?
A.
We are called to make known God, who is Love.
Love
constitutes the central command of the sovereign
Lord and his proclamation of the Kingdom. The love
commanded embraces not only the whole person of the
doer, but the deeds of love and the neighbor as well.
It thus not only fulfill the "duty" to
love, but also constitutes the basic means to achieve
true justice (rf. Catechism for Filipino Catholics
no. 950)
Q.
Why is charity the soul of mission?
A.
"Love is the sole criterion for judging what is to
be done or not done, changed or not changed. It is
the principle which must direct every action and
end to which that action must be directed. When we
act with a view to charity, or are inspired by charity,
nothing is unseemly and everything is good" (Redemptoris
Missio n. 60)
Additional
Questions
Q.
What is Mission?
A.
According to the definition of Webster, it is a "sending
out or being sent out with authority to perform a
special duty."
Missions
are those "particular undertakings by which
the heralds of the Gospel, sent out by the Church
and going forth into the whole world, carry out the
task of preaching the Gospel and planting the Church
among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in
Christ… The proper purpose of this missionary
activity is evangelization" (Ad Gentes, no.
6).
Q.
What is World Mission Sunday?
A.
It is a day of prayer and propaganda for the missions.
On this Sunday, the Church throughout the world publicly
renews her fundamental commitment to the missionary
movement. The Holy Father sends out a special catechesis
for World Mission Sunday and asks the faithful to
reflect upon it. Pastors and all who preach and instruct
the faithful need to take seriously the meaning of
World Mission Sunday, with all its catechetical and
sacramental implications.
Pentecost
was the very first mission Sunday. The apostles,
the first bishops, gathered with the Blessed Virgin
Mary and received an anointing of fire from the Holy
Spirit. The Church is founded for mission, enlivened
by Christ present and acting sacramentally.
Every
year, Catholics relive this grace of Pentecost.
This
celebration, offered in the context of the Eucharist
(see Redemptoris Missio, no. 81), is an opportunity
for parish priests, catechists and mission collaborators
to promote the mission spirit in parishes:
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Children can read about mission and report on it
to classes.
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Contacts can be made with missionaries for World
Mission Sunday.
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Bible studies and sharing groups can focus on passages
dealing with mission.
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Pontifical collections for world missions.
Q.
Who ordered the celebration of World Mission Sunday?
When?
A.
Pope Pius XI ordered the celebration World Mission
Sunday on April
14, 1926. Said
Sunday should be celebrated on the second before
the last Sunday of October. All homilies/sermons
should be on the missions.
This
is the reason why this specific collection is a “pontifical
collection.”
Q.
What is the purpose of the "Mission collections"?
A.
Its aim is to provide economic assistance to Churches
in the mission territories. It is used for evangelization,
for ecclesial and social development as well as education
and material assistance It is a sign of unity of
faith, of love and justice, which unites in the world
all the members of the Church and the particular
Church in the communion of the universal Church.
Msgr.
Gilbert A. Garcera is the National Director of Pontifical
Missionary Societies of the Philippines,
the Executive Secretary of Episcopal Commission on Mission and
a member of ECCCE's Speakers Bureau on Catechism
for Filipino Catholics.
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