“You shall be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8) is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the World Mission Day which will be celebrated on Sunday 23rd October 2022. Amidst the toils and tribulations of the times, this theme is a wakeup call to every Christian to rethink our mission on earth as we manifest God’s love to the ends of the earth.
This mission, Fr Nicholas Onyait MCCJ explains in this issue requires reaching out, drawing close to others with love, sharing and assuming their state and liberating them from different kinds of oppression. Fr Nicholas summarizes this mission: that is, every Christian, baptized and sealed with the Holy Spirit shares in this mandate, to go and preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to those who are oppressed.
Given our human weaknesses and frailties, God sends a helper to see us through this mission; “You will receive the strength from the Holy Spirit,” he promises. Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, as Christians, we ought to remember that our mission in the world has no boundaries, for we are to go out “to the ends of the earth.” This resonates with what Saint Daniel Comboni reminds us of, to have a thousand lives for the mission.
However, as we carry on our mission on earth, we are cautioned to be attentive to the needs of our neighbour as we are to our own needs. We should be reminded that we cannot give what we do not have. Thus, “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mathew 5:16) It is therefore, by sharing in God’s love and kingdom that we can do the same with our brothers and sisters.
Dear reader, times have become hard and continue to do so. Our crosses have become too heavy that we in fact have failed to lift them up. However, amidst the financial crisis (high fuel prices that have led to high prices of goods), the pleas of labourers who seek for a living outside this country; thus Human trafficking, which has become the order of the day and the different burdens that weigh us down in following Christ and witnessing His love to all, we must be reminded that it is only when we place out trust in God’s divine love that we love our neighbours and ourselves perfectly not afraid to die but to sacrifice everything we have.
As we celebrate our 60 years of independence and commemorate this year’s World Mission Day, may we retract our steps to see what strides we have made in bettering the lives of our country men and women. May we never tire to hear His call but become the great physician like Blessed Ambrossoli Giuseppe, whose love for the sick changed the lives of those in Kalongo, Northern Uganda. Let us be encouraged to do whatever little we can in His ultimate love, so that all can see Jesus in us.
