Vatican City (Fides Service) - “This Day is an event of grace for the whole Church called to be ever more aware of the universal nature of her mission with humility, boldness and trust in the presence of the Risen Christ who is bread broken for us in the Eucharist” Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples said in his homily at Mass on Mission Sunday 24 October in St Peter’s Basilica at the altar over the Tomb of Peter.
“Mission today is both urgent and necessary - the Cardinal said in his homily - because we are called to face with courage a situation ever more varied and demanding in the context of globalisation and new and ever changing complex of peoples and cultures’ (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 40). To help us face this challenge the Holy Father’s message for World Mission Sunday this year, focused on “Eucharist and Mission” offers opportune indications and suggestions. “Gathered around the altar the Church understands better her origin and her missionary mandate. Eucharist and mission are inseparable” (Message, n. 1; cfr. Encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 57)”.
The Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples went on to say: “in the Eucharist, the Church discovers her fundamental missionary calling”, because “the Eucharist encourages and prompts us to sail the oceans of languages, cultures and numerous social-political and religions barriers in order to bring the Nations to Christ with missionary work without frontiers, certain that rather than destroy the seeds God plants in all peoples, the Saviour of the world brings them to fullness”.
Lastly Cardinal Sepe spoke of the Year of the Eucharist, which has just begun. In this year, “at the school of the Upper Room with Mary and the Apostles, ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’ we will learn with humility, trust and generosity how to fulfil the missionary command to proclaim the ‘Word of God confidently (Acts 2,29), transformed into courageous witnesses and inserted as living Gospel in the life of the Church mystery of communion for mission”.
Mission Sunday Mass in St Peter’s was enhanced with the presence of Catholics from Africa, Asia and Latin America who offered hymns and customs, rites, incense, candles, flowers in keeping with their local Church traditions. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 25/10/2004; Righe 32 - Parole 413)