Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Madrid (Fides Service) - On Pentecost Sunday 30 May the Church in Spain will celebrate a Day of the Apostolate of the Laity and Catholic Action with the motto "Christian laity, builders of hope". This invitation is addressed to all Christians to rediscover their vocation to the apostolate and support the Church’s evangelising mission by being builders of hope in the world. In view of the Day the Bishops’ Commission for Lay Apostolate distributed guidebooks for the celebration of Pentecost Vespers and Sunday Mass with reflections on the activity of Catholic apostolate and Catholic Action and a message of the Day from the Bishops of this commission.
“The celebration of Pentecost - the Bishops say - recalls the descent of the Spirit on the early Church, the overcoming of fear and the start of mission to the ends of the earth to announce to the whole world the salvation worked by God”. “In our day - the Bishops say - millions of people inwardly renewed by the fire of the Holy Spirit have taken up the apostolic heritage and offer public witness to God’s infinite love for every human being”. The Bishops also say that many of these people are insulted and even imprisoned or killed for the faith. “In these cases, we see with sadness that God and transcendent values are put in the background” and many believers have fallen into secularisation, agnosticism or religious indifference. "This explains, - the Bishops say - discouragement and fatigue and lack of missionary zeal of many Christians who live as if God did not exist”.
Faced with this situation the Bishops call on Christians to renew their trust in Jesus Christ who leads humanity on its journey and is the only One who has definite answers rich in content. He is also the first evangeliser and a the model for all evangelisers: “Contemplating his life we learn not only to evangelise but also to let ourselves be led by the Spirit”.
The Bishops urge the faithful to put to fruit the missionary zeal received with baptism and confirmation. “We are convinced that new evangelisation will be possible only when Christians let themselves be filled by the Holy Spirit with love for Jesus to enable them to become builders of ecclesial communion, overcoming activism and willing to be a reflection of the Risen Lord at every moment of life”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/5/2004 - Righe 27; Parole 375).
