WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

First Reading: Is 53:10-11; Psalm: 33. R. v. 22; Second Reading: Hb 4:14-16; Gospel: Mk 10:35-45

MISSIONED TO LET CHRIST OUT

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

Every year, on the third Sunday of October or on the second to the last Sunday of October, the Catholic Church all over the world marks the World Mission Sunday. Today being the 20^th of October 2024, the Church commemorates this significant celebration. World Mission Sunday is a special day in the Catholic Church that unites Catholics worldwide in prayer, solidarity, and support for the Church’s missionary activity. Customarily, donations are collected on this day, and they go in their entirety to support Churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries where the Church is new, young or poor.

To mark this year’s Mission Sunday, Pope Francis has chosen the theme “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt 22:9). Our response to this call requires bravery and humility, and this brings us to the event of today’s gospel. Presumably, we are aware that there are two accounts to the gospel of today. While in Matthew’s account, it was the wife of Zebedee who brought her two sons to Jesus (Mt 20:20-28); in Mark’s account which happens to be today’s gospel, James and John came to Jesus on their own (v 35). Matthew’s account presented a coward looking sons of Zebedee but Mark presented a courageous James and John who knew what they wanted and were brave enough to ask Jesus unaccompanied.   

In all honesty, there was nothing wrong with their request to sit, one on each side of Jesus in his kingdom. It is more or less our kind of prayer today to make heaven at last. The difference was that they wanted a special place in heaven. Although they agreed to drink the cup and embrace the baptism of suffering, but they obviously did not understand what that means. Now, the indignation of the other ten was not because the request of James and John was wrong, but because these two beat them to the punch. James and John went behind their backs and pulled a fast one; something they were still mustering courage to do. In the heat of the altercation, Jesus highlights a fundamental truth essential to mission – Greatness does not consist in what we have, or in what we can get from others, but in what we can give of ourselves to others.   

Christ exemplifies this truth as the suffering servant who did not hold back. And being the perfect high priest, he offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the salvation of all. So, if James and John and rest of the apostles aspired to greatness; if they must have a place in the kingdom where Christ reigns supreme; then they must learn to give something of themselves to others. Something that puts them in the position of a servant who is ready to go all out to make sacrifices for the edification and salvation of the world. The apostles would go on to do this by their missionary activities. And James would become the first among the apostles to experience the baptism of suffering by his martyrdom.

The call to give of ourselves to others is a challenging task. It requires humility and courage. The humility to serve and the courage to do what is right. Our ability to do this is evident in our Eucharistic communion with Christ who lives within us and personifies the essential qualities of service and mission. All we need do is to let Christ use us; to let Christ out in our words and actions. Hence, Pope Francis in his World Mission Sunday message re-echoes this call: “Today’s drama in the Church is that Jesus keeps knocking on the door, but from within, so that we will let him out! Often we end up being an ‘imprisoning’ Church which does not let the Lord out, which keeps him as ‘its own’, whereas the Lord came for mission and wants us to be missionaries.”

Drawing from the parable of the wedding banquet (Mt 22:1-14), Pope Francis summarised his World Mission Sunday message in a tripartite form. Mission consists of: (1. Going out to invite. (2. This invitation is ‘to the marriage feast’ which is the Eucharist; a reflection of the heavenly banquet. And (3. This invitation is extended to everyone. Succinctly, the Pope is saying that we are called to witness to our faith so as to draw all people to Christ. So, having experienced Christ in the Word and Sacrament; the dismissal “ite missa est” sends us forth into mission to do what Christ commands. And it is in this witnessing that invitation happens, thereby drawing all people to Christ. This witnessing is really not our action but the action of Christ who we need to let out that the world may see him and come to him. So, when we witness to our faith, Christ is the one working through us. But first, we need to let him out. How then can we do this?

1. Christian charity – This is the selfless act of giving to others without expectation of anything in return. In doing this, we bring Christ to our world who consistently put the needs of others before his. Christian charity is a proof that Christ really lives within us thereby making himself present in our actions. This then means that to ignore charity is to ignore Christ. So, as we make financial contributions today to help poor mission areas all over the world, try not to hold back. Also, Charity isn’t always about money. Charity is also about love, about presence, and about service. In the words of St Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is lack of love and charity.” Christian charity does not hold back. And if so, forgiveness is charity also.
2. Service – Service or to serve is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith. It is prompted by charity. But while charity is the selfless act of giving; service asks that we do this in the right manner. To serve therefore means to reach out in love, to stoop, and to treat others with utmost respect and dignity. ‘Christ is God but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant; and for this reason was exalted by the God.’ (Phil 2:6-7). This underscores all the more his teaching in today’s gospel; “but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (vs 43-44). Service is a work of love and an expression of humility that replicates the person of Christ. As we serve in different capacities in our homes, Churches and workplaces, we must serve in this manner. Service ceases to be service in the absence of availability, love, patience, and humility.
3. Humility – Service does not happen without humility. For Mother Teresa, “Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity, and obedience. It is in being humble that out love becomes real, devoted, and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. If you are blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint, you will not put yourself on a pedestal.” With humility our witnessing to Christ becomes very real.

The Church is missionary. And the voice of the missionary character of the Church needs to be heard loud and clear. So, the special call today is for us to let Christ out in charity, service and humility so that our invitation can become more alive and practical to draw all people to Christ. As we do this, let us also pray for missionaries all over the world that Christ may strengthen their resolve and commitment in their missionary activities. So that after our earthly sojourn, we may all inherit the place that Christ has prepared for us in his heavenly kingdom. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, grant us the grace to be true missionaries of the gospel in charity, service and humility. Amen.