Dear missionary friends, Welcome to the 96th edition of World Mission Sunday.
The year 2022 is a special year for the mission and life of the Church as it coincides with the 400th anniversary of the Congregation for the Propaganda Fide, now called the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and the 200th anniversary of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith. These two institutions of the Church are essential to the missionary journey and life of the Church.
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is an international ecclesiastical institution that has the responsibility and authority to coordinate the missionary activities of the Church and to care for (young) Churches in all parts of the world, especially in missions. The congregation which was originally called Propaganda Fide was founded on January 6, 1622 to maintain and carry out the great commission of the Lord Jesus, "Therefore go, make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do all things. which I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20a).
The Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith was founded by a French girl, Pauline Marie Jaricot, to build a prayer and fundraising network for missionary work, so that the faithful can actively participate in the mission of the Church to all corners of the world.
This union also gave rise to World Mission Sunday.
“You will be my witnesses!” (Acts 1:8) was chosen by Pope Francis as the theme for the celebration of World Mission Sunday 2022.
With this theme, Pope Francis reminds us of the missionary nature of the Church, and at the same time invites every believer to renew his missionary commitment, namely to proclaim the Gospel.
Proclaiming the Gospel is the identity of the Church.
Mission Sunday is a time of gratitude for the grace of the missionary vocation and a good opportunity to ignite the missionary spirit and activate the missionary movement in every place we are. We are missionaries today sent to present Christ in word and deed, proclaiming to all the Good News of Christ's salvation, as the early apostles did, with joy and boldness.
We are also grateful that this 96th Mission Sunday can be celebrated in a more conducive situation.
We are grateful that the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down and is gradually improving. Hopefully this better situation will encourage our missionary zeal to flare up even more and make us more creative in proclaiming the Gospel. During the pandemic we have learned many things. Our eyes are opened, our hearts are moved, and our minds are enlightened that Jesus asks us to be witnesses of His mercy and mercy to present the face of God who is merciful and merciful to everyone, especially those who suffer and lose hope.
Dear missionary friends, Let us strengthen our hearts, ignite our spirits, and manifest ourselves as witnesses of Christ.
The celebration of the 96th World Mission Sunday is a golden opportunity to reaffirm our missionary commitment. To the disciples, the Lord Jesus had said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) . We believe that the Lord Jesus said the same thing to us today. Therefore, let us ask the Holy Spirit so that we are enabled to be witnesses of God's mercy and mercy wherever we are.
On this World Mission Sunday, the National Bureau of Pontifical Mission Societies of Indonesia (BN KKI) again presents MISSIO magazine for you with the theme, “You will be my witnesses”. Pope Francis' message and articles are presented here as material for sharing stories in missionary love and for reflection on the 96th World Mission Sunday. Hopefully this MISSIO can be a means to develop missionary inspiration in more and more people.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of missions, always pray for and protect us. Happy 96th World Mission Sunday.
God bless.
Greetings missionaries,
Fr. Markus Nur Widipranoto, National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies of Indonesia
