“Hearts on fire, feet on the move”
Over one billion Catholics all over the world observe today as World Mission Sunday. This annual observance was instituted 97 years ago in 1926 by Pope Pius XI’s Papal decree. Every year since then, the universal Church has dedicated the month of October to reflection on, and prayer for the missions. Pope Francis invites all of us on this World Mission Sunday to reflect on the gospel story of Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) to walk along with Jesus and to keep our “Hearts on fire, feet on the move”.
The journey of Emmaus reminds us of our journey with Jesus. When the disciples realised that it was Jesus they recalled “were not our hearts burning within us, while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us? That same hour they got up…” (Lk 24:32-33). It is the same call that we have received to strengthen our faith and commitment to Jesus to bear witness to his Gospel and mercy wherever we live or work. As the Lord commanded his disciples to preach the Gospel everywhere, we are also called with the same mission and zeal to ignite our minds and hearts to spread the mission to all nations.
The Emmaus disciples began their missionary work by spreading the message of the resurrected Lord to their next-door neighbours, companions, and acquaintances. It is the day to remember and rediscover our baptismal call to spread the Gospel. Let us also work in our capacity to spread the love of God in our families, workplace, and neighbourhood.
On this World Mission Sunday in a very special way, we are called to pray for all the missionaries in and around the world. Through our prayers, let us accompany them in their struggles, hardships, pains, and sufferings in spreading the Gospel. Let us also partake in the missionary activities of the Church through our spiritual and material contribution.
In his message for the World Mission Sunday Pope Francis writes: “The primary and principal resource of the mission are those persons who have come to know the Risen Christ in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, who carry his fire in their heart and his light in their gaze. They can bear witness to the life that never dies, even in the most difficult of situations and in the darkest of moments.”
May we be people who constantly encounter the Risen Christ in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist and whose hearts are on fire and feet on the move to make him known!
Fr. Joy Raphal
