All sorts of missions
In Southern Africa, which is still regarded as a missionary territory, the promotion of vocations to the consecrated life forms a central theme of World Mission Sunday, which we observe this week.
Many religious orders and congregations take the opportunity in this week’s issue to showcase their charism and, indeed, their mission (as many do on a weekly basis). Hopefully their advertisements will encourage those who feel they may have a vocation to the religious life to explore that call further.
Taken as a whole, this issue may serve as a directory of the various brands of spirituality that are available in Southern Africa’s religious congregations.
We, the body of Christ, are thankful for every vocation, old and new, and support the wonderful work our clergy and religious are doing, in such a broad diversity of ways. Often their efforts and sacrifices go unheralded–indeed, most prefer to dedicate their lives to God and his people quietly and without demanding public recognition.
On Mission Sunday especially, let us remember all our priests and religious, as well as seminarians, novices and postulants in our prayers.
Mission Sunday is an opportune time, too, for lay men and women to reflect in which way they have a mission in the Church.
For diverse reasons, it is often forgotten that the laity constitute 99% of the Church, the living body of Christ.
Critical arguments may be raised in objection to the disproportionate power the remaining 1% (or, indeed, a small fraction of that group) enjoy in relation to the laity. Some may also point to the slow progress in empowering the laity after Vatican II, a cornerstone of the Council’s vision (in this, the Church in Southern African has made greater strides than in many other regions).
None of this should discourage lay men and women to actively join the mission of the Church: to preach the Gospel by word and by example, to become involved in its manifold pastoral, evangelising and caring apostolates, to help communicate the Good News by word and by deed.
And in this, the Church hierarchy must galvanise and empower the laity.
- The Look of Christ - May 24, 2022
- Putting Down a Sleeping Toddler at Communion? - March 30, 2022
- To See Our Good News - March 23, 2022
