Servants and Apostles of Jesus Christ
.
1. Humanity is in need of liberation
original source
On this occasion I feel duty-bound to take up the Message which is Jesus
of the Holy Father for World Missionary Day, because it is Christ, from
particularly enlightening and full of proposal: “The
whose pierced
missionary mandate continues to be an absolute priority for heart flows
all the baptised, called to be “servants and apostles of ChristGod's love”
Jesus” at the beginning of the millennium. My revered (Deus caritas
predecessor, the Servant of God Paul VI, already said in his est, 7). Only
Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi that
from this source
“Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the can we draw the
Church, her deepest identity.” (n. 14).
attention,
…St Paul had understood well that only in Christ can
tenderness,
humanity find redemption and hope. Therefore he warned compassion,
how pressing and urgent is the mission to “proclaim the acceptance,
promise of life in Christ Jesus” (2 Tm 1:1), “our hope” (1 availability,
Tm. 1:1), so that all peoples may join in the same
involvement in
inheritance of being participants in the promise by means of people's
the Gospel (cf. Eph. 3,6). He was aware that without Christ, problems, and
humanity is “without hope and without God in the world other virtues
(Eph. 2,12) – without hope because it is without God” (Spe needed by messengers of the Gospel in order to leave
salvi, 3). In effect, “whoever does not know God, even everything and dedicate themselves completely and
though he may have many hopes, deep down is without unconditionally to spreading the perfume of Christ's charity
hope, without the great hope that is the foundation of all life throughout the world.
(Eph 2,12)” (Spe salvi, 27).
3. Always evangelising
2. Mission is a question of love
While first evangelisation is urgent and essential for not a
It is then an urgent duty for everyone to proclaim Christ and few regions in the world, a lack of clergy and vocations
his message of salvation. “Woe to me", St Paul said, "if I do today afflicts many dioceses and Institutes of Consecrated
not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9:16). On the road to
Life. It is important to insist that, while faced with growing
Damascus he had already experienced and understood that difficulties, Christ's mandate to evangelise all people
redemption and mission are the work of God and his love. remains a priority. There can be no reason which justifies a
Love of Christ led him along the roads of the Roman
slowing down or pause in its regard, since “the mandate to
Empire as a herald, apostle, flag-bearer, teacher of the
evangelise all men constitutes the life and essential mission
Gospel, and one who would call himself “an ambassador in of the Church” (Evangelii nuntiandi, 14).
chains” (Eph 6:20). Divine love made him “all things to all
people, in order to save some at any cost” (1 Cor 9:22). 4. Woe to me if I do not evangelise (1 Cor 9,16)
Looking at St Paul's experience, we can understand that Dear brothers and sisters, “duc in altum”! Let us set out on
missionary activity is a response to the love with which God the sea of the world, following Jesus' invitation, casting our
loves us. His love redeems us and urges us to missio ad nets without fear, trusting in his constant assistance.
gentes; it is the spiritual energy capable of giving growth in
the human family to harmony, justice, communion amongst
people, races and nations, which everyone aspires to (cf
Don Pascual Chávez Villanueva
Enc. Deus caritas est, 12). It is God therefore, who is love,
Homily for the 139th Salesian Missionary Expedition
who leads the Church towards the frontiers of humanity and
Basilica of Mary Help of Christians – 28 September 2008
who calls on evangelisers to drink from “that first and
(the complete text is found in www.sdb.org)
Escribe un Misionero
Shiu-Chow, 13 febrero 1930
Queridísima Mamá:
...Dentro de pocos días me marcharé de aquí, y con nuestro Obispo y algún joven que ha terminado sus
estudios, volveré a Lin-Chow. Será una buena semana de barca. El camino está lleno de piratas, pero
estamos seguros de que el Señor nos ayudará. Incluso ante aquella clase de gente el corazón queda calmo
y tranquilo. ¡Oh cómo se siente que estamos en las manos del buen Dios!... Ánimo, oh mi buena Madre,
como ves, la vida es un continuo dolor; pero en la oración y continua confianza iluminada por el Sagrado
Corazón de Jesús y en María Auxiliadora, encontraremos la paz aún en medio de tantos dolores. Nada te
tube ni te espante ...
...Y ahora me encomiendo a ti. Me has mandado hermosos regalos y yo, conociendo la delicadeza de tu
corazón, los tendré verdaderamente por muy queridos, pero el regalo más hermoso que me puedes hacer
es el de rezar y hacer rezar por mí. Sólo la ayuda continua del Señor nos puede ayudar a mantener recta la
vida de Sacerdotes y Misioneros. Reza, reza mucho por mí para que sea un santo sacerdote únicamente
dedicado a las almas de los demás. Sé que hasta ahora has rezado para que pudiese llegar a ser
sacerdote: ahora que lo soy, reza para que sea un santo sacerdote...
Tuyo siempre afmo. Hijo, Calixto
(this letter was written 12 days before his martyrdom )
