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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Pope Francis calls on the faithful to help spread the Word of God

Pope Francis calls on the faithful to help spread the Word of God

Published Jan 29, 2023 09:38 am

As the Catholic Church prepares to observe World Missionary Day in October, the Holy Father Pope Francis calls on the faithful to be missionaries and help spread the Word of God.

Pope Francis (Manila Bulletin file)

“Let us set out again with burning hearts, with our eyes open and our feet in motion. Let us set out to make other hearts burn with the Word of God, to open the eyes of others to Jesus in the Eucharist, and to invite everyone to walk together on the path of peace and salvation that God, in Christ, has bestowed upon all humanity,” Pope Francis said in his message for the observance.

World Missionary Day will be observed on Oct. 22. This year’s theme is “Hearts on fire, feet on the move,” taken from the Gospel of St. Luke which narrates the journey of Christ’s disciples to Emmaus.

With burning hearts, the Pontiff encouraged the faithful to be active missionaries and evangelizes and to take inspiration from this year’s theme which he said is inherent in every baptized Christian.

Pope Francis, likewise, urged the faithful not to be discouraged just like the disciples of Jesus because Jesus is always with us.

“Today, as then, the Risen Lord remains close to his missionary disciples and walks beside them, particularly when they feel disoriented, discouraged, fearful of the mystery of iniquity that surrounds them and seeks to overwhelm them. So, let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope! The Lord is greater than all our problems, above all if we encounter them in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is His and we are nothing more than His humble co-workers,” the Pontiff said.

“May Jesus make our hearts burn within us. May He enlighten and transform us, so that we can proclaim His mystery of salvation to the world with the power and wisdom that come from His Spirit,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Pius X began the observance of World Mission Sunday in 1926. Led by the Vatican’s Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the annual Church event seeks to collect donations to fund the missionary programs of the Catholic Church around the world. It is currently being run by the Pontifical Mission Societies.

In the country, Catholic schools traditionally distribute missionary envelopes to their students. Missionary envelopes are also distributed in churches on World Mission Sunday

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