For World Mission Sunday this year, celebrated on 18 October 2020, Pope Francis began his message by recalling his words from a day of prayer that took place on March 27 at the beginning of the worldwide pandemic. Even in the midst of fear, uncertainty, and panic as the world experiences a crisis that we could have never anticipated, the Lord continues to ask: “Whom shall I send?” The call to mission reaches out to us today in a special way, as the missionary spirit is an essential part of our life of discipleship. The call to mission is an invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and love of neighbor through service and prayer.
As Jesus was missionary himself, he calls us to follow him in this missionary spirit. Pope Francis states that as Jesus accomplished his calling and mission by dying of the cross for the salvation of humanity, so we too find ourselves when we give ourselves to others. Our mission, our call, and our willingness to be sent as missionaries in to the world originate in Jesus’ own vocation as a missionary.
Perhaps in this time of pandemic and social upheaval in our own county and around the world, the call to be missionary is more important than ever. The creativity to which we are called to practice our own faith in these challenging times call us to be equally creative as Jesus sends us to be missionaries today. We do not have to go to a far off land to be missionaries for Christ. Jesus calls all of us to be missionaries in the reality of our present lives. May we hear this call on World Mission Sunday.
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