Skip to main content

Go to the world and proclaim the Mercy of God.

Fr. Jerome Pistoni, SX

Oct 22, 2016
664

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

World Mission Sunday 2016 coincides with two important events in the life of the Universal Church and the Church in Sierra Leone: the conclusion of the Year of Mercy and the priestly ordination of Solomon Kargbo, a Sierra Leonean Xaverian Missionary.

In his message on the occasion of the World Mission Sunday, pope Francis wrote:

“On this World Mission Sunday, all of us are invited to "go out" as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family. By virtue of the missionary mandate, the Church cares for those who do not know the Gospel, because she wants everyone to be saved and to experience the Lord’s love. She “is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel” (Misericordiae Vultus, 12) and to proclaim mercy in every corner of the world, reaching every person, young or old”.

Tenderness and compassion is not the attitude of the Pharisee who went to the temple to pray and after praising himself finds words to despise a publican who call upon God  in the same temple.  The missionary is called  to look with respect at the peoples and cultures who he will meet.

As all baptised are called to be missionaries, we are challenged to refuse the proud attitude of the Pharisee in the temple, who look with disdain at the poor publican and try to  welcome with compassion and mercy those who cross our path.

The second important event, that will take place at Makeni on Saturday 22nd of October,  is the ordination of Solomon Kargbo as Xaverian priest.

The first Xaverian missionaries arrived in Sierra Leone July 1950: 66 years ago!

Their activities has been marked by the education of the new generations, so that they could be leaders of their own people. One of the first concern of Bishop Azzolini was the building of the Seminary, place were young people could be trained to become priests and lead the young diocese of Makeni. Bishop Azzolini and the first missionaries did not despise, like the Pharisee did in the temple,  the young Christians of Makeni, but they believed that they were capable of becoming good priests.

The desire to prepare priests for the  diocese of Makeni did not allow them to concentrate on the formations of  Xaverian vocations.

Sixty six years after the arrivals of the first Xaverian missionaries in Sierra Leone, finally a member of the Diocese of Makeni is becoming the first Xaverian priest. He is the first and, hopefully, he will not be the last.

After receiving so much from the missionaries, eventually also the diocese of Makeni begins to offer to the world peoples who will help other local churches to grow, missionaries who will bring to the all world the message of tenderness and compassion of God.

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME- WORLD MISSION SUNDAY

World Mission Sunday 2016 coincides with two important events in the life of the Universal Church and the Church in Sierra Leone: the conclusion of the Year of Mercy and the priestly ordination of Solomon Kargbo, a Sierra Leonean Xaverian Missionary.

In his message on the occasion of the World Mission Sunday, pope Francis wrote:

“On this World Mission Sunday, all of us are invited to "go out" as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion to the entire human family. By virtue of the missionary mandate, the Church cares for those who do not know the Gospel, because she wants everyone to be saved and to experience the Lord’s love. She “is commissioned to announce the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel” (Misericordiae Vultus, 12) and to proclaim mercy in every corner of the world, reaching every person, young or old”.

Tenderness and compassion is not the attitude of the Pharisee who went to the temple to pray and after praising himself finds words to despise a publican who call upon God  in the same temple.  The missionary is called  to look with respect at the peoples and cultures who he will meet.

As all baptised are called to be missionaries, we are challenged to refuse the proud attitude of the Pharisee in the temple, who look with disdain at the poor publican and try to  welcome with compassion and mercy those who cross our path.

The second important event, that will take place at Makeni on Saturday 22nd of October,  is the ordination of Solomon Kargbo as Xaverian priest.

The first Xaverian missionaries arrived in Sierra Leone July 1950: 66 years ago!

Their activities has been marked by the education of the new generations, so that they could be leaders of their own people. One of the first concern of Bishop Azzolini was the building of the Seminary, place were young people could be trained to become priests and lead the young diocese of Makeni. Bishop Azzolini and the first missionaries did not despise, like the Pharisee did in the temple,  the young Christians of Makeni, but they believed that they were capable of becoming good priests.

The desire to prepare priests for the  diocese of Makeni did not allow them to concentrate on the formations of  Xaverian vocations.

Sixty six years after the arrivals of the first Xaverian missionaries in Sierra Leone, finally a member of the Diocese of Makeni is becoming the first Xaverian priest. He is the first and, hopefully, he will not be the last.

After receiving so much from the missionaries, eventually also the diocese of Makeni begins to offer to the world peoples who will help other local churches to grow, missionaries who will bring to the all world the message of tenderness and compassion of God.

You like what you see?

Share it!