World Mission Sunday is celebrated this Sunday, October 22, with the theme “Hearts on fire, feet on the move” [Luke 24:13-35]. In his Mission Sunday message released in January this year, Pope Francis explained that the theme was inspired by the story of Jesus and the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection. Jesus accompanied them on the road to ‘break the Word’, and later, they recognised the risen Lord in the ‘breaking of the bread’.
The pope stated that Catholics should be filled with enthusiasm as they come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and the Eucharist in order to joyfully share the gospel with others. “What the world needs is God’s love, to encounter Christ and believe in him. Therefore, the Eucharist is not only the source and summit of the life of the Church, it is also the source and summit of her mission,” Pope Francis wrote, quoting the late Pope Benedict XVI.
A special emphasis is placed on Mission Sunday this year because it falls during the Synod on Synodality, which is guided by the keywords of communion, participation, and mission. It is an essential goal of the synodal journey that all its members at all levels participate and collaborate in missionary activities. Like the disciples of Emmaus, the synodal process calls on the faithful to move forward on the way and listen to the Risen Lord as they set out on their journey.
The Hong Kong diocese launched its Mission Sunday activities this year as early as Pentecost Sunday. Several events were organised by the Mission Sunday Organising Committee encouraging lay people and missionaries to participate. During a pilgrimage to Yim Tin Tsai in July, more than 120 people learned about the footprints of missionaries of yesteryear through guided tours, group sharing, and thanksgiving services. The Church in Hong Kong will always remain indebted to the selfless missionary endeavours of numerous pioneers who planted the seeds of faith and nurtured them with their sweat and blood.
Over 60 people attended a sharing session held at the Canossian Convent on July 9. Through the stories of priests and nuns, participants learned about the missionary endeavours of the Paris Foreign Missions and the Daughters of Charity of the Canossian Institute. It provided an opportunity for the faithful to experience the missionaries’ love for the people of Hong Kong.
Over 50 people attended the sharing sessions of MercyHK and the Hong Kong Catholic Lay Missionary Association at Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Primary School on July 16 learning how lay people serve and care for the weak and vulnerable throughout Hong Kong and overseas, sharing the joy of the gospel.
Vicar general, Father Paul Kam Po Wai, who heads the organising committee, wrote in his column in Sunday Examiner that “these experiences will help the faithful to follow the footsteps of their predecessors and follow Christ, so that they may reflect on their own mission and respond positively to fulfill it.”
The celebration will culminate on October 22, Mission Sunday, at St. Paul’s Convent School in Causeway Bay, where the faithful may invite their non-Christian friends to participate in games and performances to become acquainted with our faith. “A simple invitation is the beginning of evangelisation,” Father Kam said.
Mission Sunday is an occasion for each Christian to introspect and renew one’s commitment to the mission of the Church. Let our hearts be on fire to set ablaze the world with God’s love! Jose, CMF
