Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Brasilia (Fides Service) – In a message for Mission Sunday 2003 entitled “The Church and the Missions in the 21st Century”, Father Daniel Lagni, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil, says that reflection on the slogan chosen by the PMS Brazil for this year’s Mission Sunday “Church in Brazil your vocation is Mission”, calls everyone to reflect with courage on their baptism. “Mission touches consciences, proposes new paths, new life projects, making the Gospel the reason for life. Catholics must realise that life is mission in order to transform life in mission and to give life to mission”.
“Our vocation – Fr Lagni writes – is a call to follow Jesus Christ. At the same time every disciple of Christ is called to be sent. Therefore as disciples and disciples of Jesus, we are called to mission. Called and sent, following Jesus, proclaiming the Kingdom, dialogue and service, witness, martyrdom and mission are the basic nucleus of the Christian vocation”.
“In a society with one greatest situations of social unbalance in the world, where millions live in precarious conditions, the Church’s work f mission and social assistance is fundamental to help the needy. The month of October – Fr Daniel recalls – is dedicated to mission: a time of concrete gestures in favour of brothers and sisters near and far with collection of funds for social works and programmes of sending missionaries to the most remote and poorest regions of Brazil and the world”. R Z (Fides Service 17/10/2003 EM lines 18 Words: 252)
