Thoughts to live by: World Mission

20 October, Sunday, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Liturgy of the Word — Is. 53:10-11; Ps. 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; Heb. 4:14-16; Mk. 10:35-45 or 10:42-45.

1. Some Notes on World Mission Sunday —

Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926, World Mission Sunday invites everyone to answer Christ’s call, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19). Collections on this day benefit territories where the Gospel has not yet been received or has been only recently embraced or is courageously upheld in the face of persecution. The message of Pope Francis for this Sunday is from the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt. 22:9). Especially today, we pray for all the missionaries who have left everything to go far from their homeland and bring the Good News to peoples of different cultures, social classes, and religious traditions. We pray for new and numerous missionary vocations. The world sets banquets of consumerism, individualism, or the accumulation of wealth. In contrast, the Gospel calls us to the divine banquet, marked by joy, sharing, justice, love, and communion with God and with others. Our participation at the Eucharistic banquet, our prayers, contributions, and our own witnessing to the Gospel are ways of fulfilling our baptismal identity as missionary disciples of Christ.

2. 1st Reading, Is. 53:10-11, Isaiah’s Fourth Servant Poem, the Saving Sacrifice of Jesus. “It was the Lord’s will to crush him with pain. By making his life as a reparation offering” (v. 10). He offers his life as a sacrifice to acquit us from guilt. “My servant, the just one, shall justify the many, their iniquity he shall bear” (v. 11).

3. Resp. Ps. 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22, God’s Mercy on the God-fearing — “For the Lord’s word is upright; all his works are trustworthy. He loves justice and right. The earth is full of the mercy of the Lord” (vv. 4-5). “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, to deliver their soul from death (vv. 18-19). “Our soul waits for the Lord, he is our help and shield” (v. 20). “May your mercy, Lord, be upon us; as we put our hope in you” (v. 22).

4. 2nd Reading, Heb. 4:14-16, The writer points out the superiority of Jesus, the High Priest, to the Jewish high priest. “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (vv. 14-16).

5. Gospel, Mk. 10:35-45 or 42-45 — Jesus summons the Apostles and tells them that the rulers over the Gentiles “lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt” (v. 42). “It shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all” (vv. 43-44). In 1 Pt. 5:1-5, Peter took this lesson of humility and servant-leadership seriously since he passes it on to the presbyters from the provinces in Asia Minor. Jesus is the example of servant leadership. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (v. 45, see 1 Tm. 2:6). The service of Jesus is his passion and death for our sins (see Is. 53:11-12). He sacrificed himself to redeem us from the death of sin and give us a life of grace.

6. On this World Day of Mission, the Liturgy of the Word revolves around the infinite compassion of God. “The earth is full of the Lord” (Ps. 53:5). God’s mercy is most especially demonstrated in Christ’s self-sacrificing and redeeming love. He is the Great High Priest who humbly served us even unto death. He is the “Compassion of God.” To proclaim God’s mercy to the nations is at the heart of evangelization and mission. Today, we also recall that our Blessed Mother is ever present to help, protect, and guide missionary disciples. She is the Star of Evangelization.

7. Prayer — Almighty ever-living God, your Divine Son showed himself as our great High Priest, by humbly serving us and sacrificing his very life that we may be redeemed from sin and given eternal life. Grant us, we pray, the grace of missionary discipleship, witnessing to the Good News, and humbly serving the needy and the poor. This we pray, through the intercession of Mary, Star of Evangelization, in Christ’s holy name. Amen.

Prayers, best wishes, God bless!