杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis focused his catechesis on Sunday on the missionary nature of the Church, pointing out that it must always be joyful and bring peace and healing.

Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day that tells of when Jesus, in addition to the twelve apostles, sent seventy-two disciples on a mission 鈥� because 72 he explained refers to the 72 different nations mentioned in the book of Genesis 鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said 鈥渢his sending anticipates the Church's mission to proclaim the Gospel to all.鈥�

He said that to those disciples Jesus said 鈥淭he harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest鈥�. 

Universal dimension of prayer

And inviting each of us to do so with an open heart, with a missionary attitude, the 杏MAP导航 said 鈥渙ur prayer must not be limited only to our needs and our necessities, because a prayer is truly Christian if it also has a universal dimension鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to explain that mission is based on prayer; that it is itinerant; that it requires detachment and poverty; that it brings peace and healing which, he said, are signs of the closeness of the Kingdom of God.

Mission is proclamation and witness

He also stressed that mission is not proselytism but proclamation and witness and said it requires frankness and the evangelical freedom.

鈥淚f lived in these terms, the mission of the Church will be marked by joy鈥�, he said.

The 杏MAP导航 concluded noting that this joy is not a fleeting joy triggered by the success of the mission, but a joy rooted in the promise that 鈥� as Jesus says - "your names are written in heaven".

It鈥檚 the inner and indestructible joy that comes from the awareness of having been called by God to follow his Son: the joy of being his disciples.

鈥淓ach of us鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渃an think of the name he received on the day of his baptism: that name is "written in heaven", in the heart of God the Father. 鈥淎nd it is the joy of this gift that makes every disciple a missionary, one who walks in the company of the Lord Jesus, who learns from Him to spend himself, unreservedly, for others, free from himself and from his own possessions鈥�.