MONTHLY UPDATE
by Monsignor James T. McDonough
DIRECTOR, PONTIFICAL MISSION SOCIETIES-PHILADELPHIA

Pope Benedict XVI, our Holy Father and governor of the Pontifical Mission Societies, who helps create a greater awareness of the universal Missionary work of the Church that encourages a spirit of prayer and sacrifice among her members and gathers funds and other resources to support her worldwide Mission, shared his view on what it means to be Missionary, in his exhortation to the faithful in Portugal this May:

“My brothers and sisters, you need to become witnesses with me to the Resurrection of Jesus. In effect, if you do not become his witnesses in your daily lives, who will do so in your place? Christians are, in the Church and with the Church, Missionaries of Christ sent into the world. This is the indispensable Mission of every community: to receive from God and to offer to the world the Risen Christ, so that every situation of weakness and of death may be transformed, through the Holy Spirit, into an opportunity for growth and life.”
    Pope Benedict XVI, Portugal, Agenzia Fides, May 15, 2010

As the Pope tells us, it is everyone’s Mission to bring people to Christ

.This is how young men preparing for the priesthood at the Missionary Seminary of St. Paul in Nigeria define their future as priests. One offered, “It’s our way of showing gratitude to the Missionaries who helped us come to know Jesus. We are prepared to offer the same faithful witness to our Lord.”

This Seminary has received support from one of the Pontifical Mission Societies, the Society for St. Peter Apostle, from the day it opened its doors in 1977.  Today more than 100 young men are receiving support for their studies.  In a year after ordination, the new priests serve within their homeland of Nigeria; the next year, they are “sent” on Mission – to any of 14 countries.
Further east on the African continent, in the Sudan, those preparing for the priesthood at St. Paul’s Seminary in Khartoum, also have heard the call to make Christ known. 

They wish to bring the love and compassion of Jesus to those who have suffered unimaginable hardships there. And despite the dangers, the seminarians feel urgently called to the priesthood especially to bring the “Good News” of the love and peace of Jesus to the poor and persecuted.  One student explains, “We are needed to do as Jesus commanded us, to be evangelizers, to be Missionary, to tell everyone about Jesus and His Gospel.”

One of the ways in which each of us can be Missionary in our daily lives is to pray for these young men and thousands of Missionaries, Religious Brothers and Sisters and Lay Ministers, as they devote their time to God’s service in schools, in communities, in hospitals and many other places – proclaiming the hope of our Lord to poor and suffering people.

Also with your support, financial assistance is offered through the Pontifical Mission Societies to Missionaries throughout the world. Learn ways to support the Missions on this website.

Remember, through prayer and acts of sacrifice, by your words and actions, you become a Missionary for the Lord. 

Called to be Missionary

Before, I lived by myself in a rather large house.
As a Missionary, I live in a shelter with all God’s people.

Before, I drove a sports car for a status symbol.
As a Missionary, I drive a dilapidated bicycle as a privilege.

Before, I wore fashionable clothes and worried about my looks.
As a Missionary, I wear second-hand, simple outfits & never looked better.

Before, I purchased whatever I wanted with credit cards.
As a Missionary, I accept donations for the things I need.

Before, I went to Sunday Mass, praised God and felt content.
As a Missionary, I go to Daily Mass, sing praises to God and know it is not enough.

Before, I was an individual trying to do some good in my small town.
As a Missionary, I am part of a larger community, the people of God.

You call us, God, in unique ways to service.  May we always be open to your call. This is one person’s view on what it means to be Missionary. 

Called to be Missionary adapted from Open Hearts, Helping Hands: Prayers by Lay Volunteers in Mission Used with Permission.

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