杏MAP导航: 'Going on mission means giving the best of ourselves and God's gifts'
By Benedict Mayaki, SJ
杏MAP导航 Francis has sent a message to greet and encourage a group of missionaries 鈥� young people and adults - from the parish of Nostra Signora dell鈥橝ssunzione of Rio Cuarto in Argentina, who went on missions among the indigenous peoples of Salta, Victoria Este, in the diocese of Orán.
The missionaries, about thirty in number, spent a week among the Wichi communities, accompanying families, celebrating Masses and bringing the Word of God among the Indigenous people, under the motto 鈥渄reams are built together.鈥�
鈥淭hank you for what you have done, thank you for this work,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said to them in a video message sent on Wednesday, urging them to 鈥渒eep going鈥� with their mission.
"Mission" is a beautiful thing
鈥淭o do mission,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, is 鈥渢o go out of yourselves to give the best of yourselves and the best of what God gives.鈥�
This, he underlined, 鈥渋s a very beautiful thing.鈥�
The Holy Father then extended his regards to Fr. Mariano Cordeiro, a parish priest in Serrano, who is accompanying the missionaries.
Finally, with a request for prayers for himself, 杏MAP导航 Francis invoked God鈥檚 blessings on the missionaries and further encouraged them to return to their missionary work.
Dreams are built together
Fr. Cordeiro explained that the motto of the mission is inspired by the Fratelli tutti encyclical.
He added that for three years now, the missionaries have been visiting these communities twice a year in order to grow in friendship with these indigenous communities. In fact, they travel for more than 5,000 kilometers to reach the border with Bolivia and Paraguay for their mission work.
Reflecting on the situation in these mountain communities, he noted that many have problems of malnutrition, lack of clean drinking water, and are very far away from any medical service.
鈥淭he lack of humanity with which our indigenous brothers and sisters are treated is very painful,鈥� the priest said, adding that they are 鈥渇orgotten by all, being one of the poorest places in the country.鈥�
Mission to the indigenous
Fr. Cordeiro said that the mission experience provided the missionaries the opportunity to enrich themselves with the culture of the indigenous brothers and sisters in the mountains, including the poorest.
鈥淲e were able to touch the flesh of Jesus in these people, in the midst of extreme poverty, which hurts and makes us helpless,鈥� he said. 鈥淛esus looked at us and smiled and at us in the face of each brother and sister in the mountains.鈥�
On a hopeful note, the priest affirmed that God 鈥渄oes not abandon His children鈥� and highlighted that on the missionaries have sensed the Spirit of God on the mountains 鈥渋n the simple, in the small and in the mysterious.鈥�
He remarked that the young people have returned full of hope and the 鈥淟ord has awakened their sensitivity to educate them with this commitment to their brothers and sisters, with their neighbour.鈥�
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
