Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - We all know that in his long pontificate and even recently Pope John Paul II has elevated numerous men and women, priests and consecrated persons, members of religious families to the honour of the altars.
These brothers and sisters reached the end of their life and the height of their vocation through personal sanctification and intimate union with Christ. Their profound spirituality according to the Gospel and the ecclesial richness of their historical fecundity is impressive. Therefore we are not surprised that at the end of this year 2004 the Pope suggests a missionary prayer intention not to forget what is at the root of effective evangelisation.
Undoubtedly the main ambition of a Christian is not to be beatified or canonised, but to be faithful, to be a person of faith in Christ, who renders Christ present and bears witnesses to him in every aspect and area of this earthly life. This is an obligation for the Christian “charged with mission”, for one who has received the command to proclaim the Gospel. He or she cannot forget that life bears fruit only if it is attached to Christ, like a branch to the vine.
What bishop of priest, without being a monk, can ever forget this thought voiced by Don Marmion, recently beatified, who called Christ “the Soul of all Apostolate”.
Personal holiness is an inward effort renewed day after day by God’s grace to keep always intimately bound to Christ. The spirit of Christ is a spirit of fidelity, love in perfect obedience to the Father and therefore to duties as a baptised Christian, a consecrated person, a missionary at the service of the Gospel.
The spirit of Christ is also the spirit of the Beatitudes: which produces the joy of peacemakers and defenders of justice, supporters of meekness, forgiveness and mercy. These are already unquestionable fruits of the Gospel lived in profundity. They make the earth God’s house where than can be no hatred, violence or war...
Through his Apostles at the service of mission Christ transfigures the world. He did this by rising from the dead, by conquering death. If you wish to be one with Christ, give priority to the Eucharist, “source and summit of evangelisation”.
In this year the Pope calls us to celebrate a Year of the Eucharist, another reason to pray for deeper fidelity to the greatest of all the Church’s sacraments. Once again Christ is not only the Soul of all Apostolate, he is its source, destination and raison d’être.
Are we not all more or less fruits of those who sowed, our predecessors, our fathers and mothers in the faith, with the holiness of their life and their missionary activity? We should recall with gratitude the figure of our missionaries who renounced all to follow Christ: they left their homeland and all they held dear. Mission today, as yesterday is a total gift for evangelisation ad gentes, ad vitam. It is a deliberate choice of a hard life, exposed to risks and dangers including the climate, uncertainty in countries and times and diseases of all sorts.
I said “renunciation”. But this is the constant and inevitable of all sacrifices announced by Christ himself. No staff, no bag, only one tunic … in a word total poverty. The birds have their nests, foxes their holes, but Christ has nowhere to lay his head.
This is the way to be missionaries, closely and wholly united with Christ, a condition for abundant and certain fruitfulness.
The Pope’s missionary intention for November 2004 evokes the memory of great missionaries beatified and canonised a year ago: Saint Daniele Comboni, Saint Arnold Jansen and Blessed Mother Teresa. Three names honoured on three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe from where they came. As an African I am particularly honoured to testify to the great work these missionaries achieved among us as great examples of friends of Christ.
It is thanks to them that a good part of the Church takes ever-deeper root and grows producing many witness of faith and love. Can we ever forget these wonders of the Lord? (Cardinal Bernardin Gantin) (Agenzia Fides 28/10/2004 - Righe 55; Parole 756)
