Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santa Fe (Agenzia Fides) - “Preaching the Gospel helps to reflect on and update content and activity of the missionary dimension of the Church.” This is what Archbishop Jose Mara Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz said in his weekly radio message on World Mission Sunday (October 18). “The Church does not have to dedicate a day or a month to the missions, because she is missionary in her very essence. Her entire life is the mission,” the Archbishop said. In addition, “she has received from Jesus Christ himself the mandate to preach the Gospel to the entire world.” Archbishop Arancedo recalled that “the first missionary is Christ: this is why He has come, to communicate the Life of God.” The mission, therefore, has its primary source in God the Father, who sends his Son, his own content and his own style in Christ Himself, and His strength in the Holy Spirit.”
This “New Life” transmitted through the Son, is for “all of man's life and becomes the principle of a new creation for the entire universe.” Thus, the need for “new men.” Then, quoting the Aparecida Document, the Archbishop mentioned that the mission “is at the service of fullness of life” and “for all,” because “we cannot understand the mission if we do not look at man in his concrete nature, in his realization, in his personal, family, social, and cultural life.” Thus, it is of utmost importance that we “recognize that the living conditions of many who live abandoned, marginalized, and ignored in their misery and pain, contradict the Father's plan and call believers on to a greater commitment to the culture of life.” (GT) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2009)
