Wednesday, May 20, 2015
This day was spent celebrating the universal church—beginning with the Assembly Members going to the Papal Audience and joining with the Mission Course members. These are members from among the core communities of the UAC who are participating in a two-week course on missionary work.
The day came to a close with a Holy Mass at San Salvatore in Onda with Superior General, D. Jacob Nampudakam, SAC. We wish to share with you an excerpt of his homily:
- A Missionary Disciple is called to in intimate relationship with Jesus (Contemplation)
- A Missionary Disciple is sent just as Jesus is sent by the Father (Action)
Following the example of our Founder and the great Pallottine missionaries, like Fr. Joseph Faà di Bruno, as we remember today the bicentenary of his birth, the Pallottine family is called to rediscover a new missionary zeal and dynamism. There are least three fundamental reasons for it: . . . the very Christian vocation is to evangelise, a baptized person is called and sent at the same time. Secondly we need to give heed to the cry of the people of God who are thirsty for his word and hungry for material needs and try to reach out to the in all ways possible. Finally we need to offer our charism in service of the Universal Church as Pallottine family, sowing the seeds of faith where the land is fertile, rather than brooding over diminishing numbers. Our Society is working towards about nine new missions in South America, Africa and Asia simply because God’s people await the Good News of salvation and it is only by giving that we receive. AS the Lord says, if we only try to preserve life, we will lose it by losing it again.
. . .Pope Francis was found in his first Apostolic Exhortation: “Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigour!”
