杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis dedicated his morning Mass on Thursday to those who have died because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He prayed especially for those who have died 鈥渁nonymously鈥� and have been buried in common graves.

The Holy Father took a verse from the Gospel as the starting point for his homily: 鈥淣o one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him.鈥�

It is certainly possible to study religion or theology, and learn a great deal about Jesus, the 杏MAP导航 said, but unless we are drawn by the Father, we cannot know Christ, or His mystery.

This was the case with the Ethiopian eunuch in the First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles. He was an official in the Ethiopian royal court. The 杏MAP导航 noted that he was reading the Scriptures 鈥� a passage from the prophet Isaiah 鈥� as he returned home from Jerusalem. God had already prepared his heart, and now the Father sent Philip the Deacon to him.

The restlessness the official felt was precisely the Father drawing him to Jesus. When he saw some water by the wayside, he asked to be baptised.

Our apostolic work: to bear witness

杏MAP导航 Francis said it is important for us to realize this principle as the basis for our own apostolic work of spreading the Gospel. 鈥淭his is valid for our apostolate, for our apostolic mission as Christians鈥�, he said. The work of conversion, the 杏MAP导航 continued, is not something we do. Only God can convert someone. Only the Father can draw someone to Jesus.

Our job, the 杏MAP导航 said, is to bear witness. In missionary work, it is not enough simply to teach or instruct people about the truths of the faith. In order to be a true proclamation, we must bear witness in our own lives, and allow the Father to draw people to Christ.

Prayer opens the Father鈥檚 heart

The 杏MAP导航 then asks what we can do 鈥渟o that the Father will make it His business to draw people鈥� to Jesus.

The answer he gives is simple: Prayer.

鈥淲itness and prayer go together鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said. 鈥淲ithout witness and prayer you cannot do the work of apostolic preaching鈥�. One鈥檚 preaching might be very beautiful, but without the Father's action, people will not be attracted to Christ.

The centre of our apostolate

Our witness opens the door to people鈥檚 hearts, leads them to welcome the message and the mystery of Jesus. Prayer then opens the Father's heart, so that He Himself will draw people to Jesus.

This applies not only in the missions but is the 鈥済reat rule of our apostolate everywhere鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said. He warned, though, that being missionary does not mean proselytism: 鈥淲itness, yes, proselytism, no!鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his homily saying, 鈥淟et us ask the Lord for the grace to live our work with witness and prayer, so that He, the Father, might draw people to Jesus.鈥�