World Mission Sunday 2012

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVION THE OCCASION OF THE WORLD DAY OF MISSIONS

"Called to make shine the word of truth"Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, no. 6
The celebration of World Mission Sunday this year has special significance. The celebration of the 50th anniversary of the start of Vatican II, the opening of the Year of Faith and the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, help to reaffirm the will of the Church to engage with more courage and zeal in the mission ad gentes , for the Gospel to reach to the ends of the earth.The Second Vatican Council, with the participation of many bishops from all corners of the earth, was a bright sign of the universality of the Church, bringing together for the first time so many Council Fathers from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Bishops native missionaries and bishops, pastors of communities scattered among non-Christian populations, which have led to the sessions of the Council of Church image present in all continents, and were interpreters of the complex realities of so-called "Third World". Rich experience to be had by young churches and pastors in the making, driven by a passion for spreading the Kingdom of God, they contributed significantly to reaffirm the necessity and urgency of the evangelization ad gentes, and thus bring the center of ecclesiology the missionary nature of the Church.Missionary EcclesiologyToday this vision has not diminished, but instead, has experienced a fruitful theological and pastoral reflection, while returning with renewed urgency since greatly increased the number of those who do not know Christ, "Men waiting for Christ are still a huge number, "said the Blessed John Paul II in his encyclical Redemptoris missio on the validity of the missionary mandate, and added:" We can not be thinking of the millions of brothers and sisters, redeemed by Blood of Christ, living without knowing the love of God "(n. 86). In proclaiming the Year of Faith, also I have said that Christ "today as yesterday, sends us the ways of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all peoples of the earth" (Apostolic Letter Porta fidei, 7), a proclamation that, as stated also the Servant of God Paul VI in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi, "the Church is not some order optional: you are putting a duty incumbent on her by the Lord's command, overlooking men believe and be saved. Yes, this message is needed. It is unique. In no way could be replaced "(n. 5). Therefore need to retake the same apostolic zeal of the early Christian communities who, small and defenseless, were able to spread the Gospel throughout the then known world by its announcement and witness.So, no wonder that the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent Magisterium of the Church insist so special in missionary mandate entrusted by Christ to his disciples and to be a commitment of the whole People of God, bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity. The commission to preach the Gospel in every part of the land belongs primarily to the bishops, primarily responsible for the evangelization of the world, either as members of the college of bishops, or pastors of particular churches. They, indeed, "have been consecrated not just for one diocese, but for the salvation of the whole world" (John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, 63), "messengers of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ" ( Ad Gentes, 20) and make "visible the spirit and missionary zeal of the People of God, so that the whole diocese becomes missionary" (ibid., 38).The priority of evangelizationFor a pastor, then, the mandate to preach the Gospel is not exhausted by the attention of the People of God entrusted to their pastoral care, or sending a priest, layman or laywoman Fidei Donum. It must involve all activities of the local church, all sectors and, in short, his whole being and work. The Second Vatican Council clearly indicated and the subsequent Magisterium has reiterated vigorously. This means constantly adapting lifestyles, pastoral plans and diocesan organization to this fundamental dimension of being Church, especially in our continually changing world. And this also applies both for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, and to the ecclesial movements: all components of the great mosaic of the Church must feel strongly challenged by the Lord's command to preach the Gospel, so that Christ is proclaimed everywhere. We pastors, religious, religious and all the faithful in Christ, we must follow in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, who, "prisoner of Christ to the Gentiles" (Eph 3:1), worked, suffered and struggled to bring the Gospel among the heathen (Col 1.24 to 29), tirelessly, time and means to disseminate the message of Christ.Also today, the mission ad gentes should be the constant horizon and paradigm in all church activities, because the very identity of the Church is constituted by faith in the mystery of God, who has revealed himself in Christ to bring us salvation, and mission to bear witness and proclaim to the world, until he comes. Like Paul, we must go to those who are far away, those who do not yet know Christ and have not yet experienced the fatherhood of God, with the awareness that "missionary cooperation should be expanded today with new ways to include not only aid economic, but also direct participation in evangelization "(John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, 82). The Year of Faith and the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelization will be occasions for a new wave of missionary cooperation, especially in the second dimension.Faith and the announcementThe desire to preach Christ leads us to read the story to scrutinize the problems, aspirations and hopes of humanity, that Christ should heal, purify and fill with your presence. Indeed, his message is still relevant, is introduced into the heart of the story and is able to give an answer to the deepest concerns of every human being. Therefore the Church must be aware, in all its parts, that "the vast horizon of the mission of the Church, the complexity of the current situation now requires new ways to effectively communicate the Word of God" (Benedict XVI, Exhortation. Synodal Apostolic Verbum Domini, 97). This requires, above all, a renewed commitment to personal and community faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, "at a time of profound change such as humanity is living" (Apostolic Letter Porta fidei, 8).Indeed, one of the barriers to the impulse of evangelization is the crisis of faith, not only in the Western world, but in the majority of humanity, however, is hungry and thirsty for God and must be invited and led the bread of life and the living water to the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well comes and talks to Christ. As the Evangelist John tells the story of this woman is particularly significant (cf. Jn 4.1 to 30): Jesus is asking you to drink, then speaks of a new water can quench thirst forever. The woman at first did not understand, it stays on the material level, but the Lord slowly guide on a journey of faith that leads to recognize him as the Messiah. In this regard, says St. Augustine, "after having hosted in Lord Christ's heart, what else could have done [this woman] if not leave the pitcher and run to announce the good news?" (In Ioannis Ev. , 15,30). The encounter with Christ as a living person, which quenches the thirst of the heart, can not but lead to the desire to share with others the joy of this presence and to make it known, so that everyone can experience. A renewed enthusiasm to communicate the faith to promote a new evangelization of the communities and countries of ancient Christian tradition, which are losing their reference to God, so that you can rediscover the joy of believing. The concern to evangelize must never be left out of the Church's activities and staff of the Christian life, but must prominently characterize it, conscious of being addressed and at the same time, a missionary of the Gospel. The focus of the ad remains the same: the kerygma of Christ who died and rose for the salvation of the world, the love of God Kerygma, absolute and total for each man and each woman, culminating in the sending of the Son eternal and only Son, the Lord Jesus, who refused to share the poverty of our human nature, loving and rescuing us from sin and death by offering himself on the cross.In this loving realized in Christ, faith in God is above all a gift and a mystery that we may open our hearts and lives, and what we should be forever grateful to the Lord. But faith is a gift given to us to be shared, is a talent given to bear fruit and a light should not be hidden, but to illuminate the entire house. It is the most important gift we have been given in our lives and we can not keep us to yourself.The announcement is transformed into charityWoe to me if not evangelize!, Says the apostle Paul (1 Cor 9:16). These words resonate loudly for every Christian and every Christian community in every continent. Also in the Churches in mission territories, churches mostly young, often newly created, the missionary character has become connatural dimension, even when they themselves still need missionaries. Many priests, religious men and women from all over the world, many lay people and even entire families leave their countries, their local communities and go to other churches to witness and announce the name of Christ, in which humanity finds salvation. It is an expression of profound communion, a sharing and charity among Churches, so that every person can hear or re-hear the announcement that heals and thus approach the Sacraments, the source of true life.Along with this great sign of faith becomes charity, remember and thank the Pontifical Mission Societies, for cooperation in the universal mission of the Church in the world. Through its activities, the Gospel becomes an aid intervention to others, justice for the poor, the possibility of instruction in the most remote villages, medical care in remote areas, overcoming poverty, rehabilitation of the marginalized, to support the development of peoples, overcoming ethnic divisions, of respect for life in all its stages.Dear brothers and sisters, I invoke the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the work of evangelization ad gentes, and in particular those who work in it, so that God's grace makes walking more strongly in world history. With Blessed John Henry Newman, I would implore: "Accompany, O Lord, to your missionaries in the lands to evangelize; put the right words on your lips, make their work fruitful." May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church and Star of Evangelization, accompany all missionaries of the Gospel.Benedict XVI,Vatican, 6 January 2012, Solemnity of the Epiphany