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NEW YORK - January 6, 2012 - The news on this Feast of the Epiphany that the Church would have 22 new cardinals is truly, as Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan here in New York observed, a gift – an affirmation of love from the Pope. For our “one family in mission,” the inclusion of our Prefect, now Cardinal-designate Fernando Filoni, signifies that for the Missions, and the Pope’s own missionary works, the Pontifical Mission Societies. We send prayerful congratulations to Cardinal-designate Filoni, to Cardinal-designate Dolan, in whose archdiocese our national office is privileged to reside, and to all who will be formally inducted into the College of Cardinals on February 18. May their faithful witness continue to draw all ever nearer to our Lord, and may our prayers accompany them and all who serve His Church.
In making the announcement about the new cardinals, Pope Benedict XVI reminded us once again of the urgency of mission. As a Church in mission, we offer the light of the Gospel to all people, to every nation and culture – the light which illumines the darkness of our world. And at the heart of our mission vocation is the commandment to love. Venerable Pauline Jaricot, founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, understood this; her life reflected it. As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of her death on January 9, we recall her own desire to “love without measure…without end,” may we renew our support of the efforts of the Pontifical Mission Societies – the Pope’s own missionary works – as we pour forth the Lord’s own love into communities far and wide, offering the Light of Christ to a world in need.
Cardinal-designate Filoni was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in May 2011. Born in Italy, he had served as Sostituto of the Secretariat of State, as well as Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq, Jordan and the Philippines.
Raise Those Hands!
Raise those hands! I’ve been saying that a lot lately. In fact, calling for a show of hands—to the question of “who’s a missionary here?”— is fast becoming a direct route to a teachable mission moment.
Most recently, while standing in the pulpit of the great St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on World Mission Sunday, October 23, I called for a show of hands to that very question. Seeing few hands, I said, “OK, so hands up if you’ve been baptized!” All hands went up. And that, friends of the Missions, is the answer to the first question as well.
Baptism is the doorway to being a disciple and a missionary. It’s the essential and most fundamental part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, to be somebody who is sent into the world. As the Son was sent by the Father, as the Spirit was sent to console and counsel us, so the entire Church is sent into the world — it’s why the Church is mission.
At the heart of the mission vocation is the commandment to love. Our love should pour forth into the community, extending beyond ourselves, to those faraway places, where nobody is watching, where the vulnerable are forgotten, and the poor are often abandoned. That’s where the missionary will be — where the asphalt finishes and the street lamps are no more.
And that’s where we’re called to be as well, in prayer and by our generous gifts to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
So about those hands, you can put them down now. Before you do, please consider putting them in your pocket or purse, drawing out a gift from a loving heart to offer to the missionary who right now extends help and the Lord’s love to those most in need. God love you!
Very Reverend Andrew Small, OMI, STD
National Director
From MISSION (Fall / Winter 2011)]
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