Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
San José (Agenzia Fides) – “The Great Continental Mission in Costa Rica will be a call to stay close to the Lord. It will mean lighting a star to show the path along which to find and to adore the one true God ”. This was said by Archbishop Hugo Barrantes Ureña, of San José, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Costa Rica, during his homily at Mass on the feast of the Epiphany, in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels, which concluded with the launching of the Great Continental Mission in Costa Rica.
“The Continental Mission knows no borders, it must reach everyone,” - said the Archbishop, - we must all dedicate ourselves to the Mission in a spirit “of total dedication and love for God and for our brothers and sisters”.
First of all Archbishop Barrantes explained that “the voice of the Spirit, in Aparecida, calls us at this time in history to make a radical decision for Mission”, therefore, this Mission “cannot be seen as an option, it is a necessary duty to be immediately assumed by every ecclesial community”. Nor is it “an invention of a few bishops, or a passing mode”, it is a matter of “obeying the mandate of the Lord: ‘Go, proclaim the Gospel; in keeping with God's desire for salvation”, and with the “essential nature of the Church”.
With regard to the participants in the Mission Archbishop Barrantes stressed the need to “overcome any temptation to ‘clericalise’ with the laity restricted to a mere passive and receptive function”. Instead this is the time “to rediscover the decisive importance of the laity in the Church”. In effect, experience shows that “ the most vigorous and evangelising communities are those where lay people feel they are an integral part of the Church ”. This means everyone must assume responsibility, beginning with Catholic Associations and Apostolic Movements. It is necessary to avoid the danger of forming small “ ecclesial islands”, because “ ecclesial identity must be above any group identity; and the movement must be visible starting from the Church, not the Church starting from the movement”.
“To be good missionaries – the Archbishop said - we must be converted and committed Christians ”, and this calls for sound missionary spirituality. However, since missionary spirituality cannot be taken for granted or improvised, there must be “a serious in-depth process human, spiritual, doctrinal and pastoral formation ”.
On the other hand, “the Continental Mission demands dynamism and strength born of pastoral conversion”. Pastoral conversion “involving ‘everything’, structures, methods of evangelisation, language, but first and foremost, ways of thinking, being and acting”.
Another important aspect of the Continental Mission mentioned by the Archbishop was to take as a starting point, an experience of God, because people seek the one, true God, not a rational idea of Him. This means “the Church must be once again eminently kerygmatic”, “not with a new content of the Message but with an updating of the message: Jesus Christ, God, risen and living and above all, always timely”.
“It is impossible to imagine the Continental Mission without the leading role of the Holy Spirit”, said the president of the Costa Rica Bishops' Conference. This is why “in programming and undertaking the Continental Mission we must let ourselves be led by the Holy Spirit” and realise we are a tool “which seeks success only in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit”.
Archbishop Barrantes concluded his homily with a prayer to Our Lady of the Angels, Patroness of Costa Rica: “May the Continental Mission lead to a Church which follows the example of Mary, to become disciple and a missionary, mother, teacher and Samaritan”: “Here we are in your house, bishops and faithful to shoulder the Continental Mission with commitment. Pray that the Continental Mission may be an Epiphany for Costa Rica, a light which draws all men and women to encounter Christ the Saviour ”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 8/1/2009)
