OCTOBER 15-21

From October 15-21, please pray in your communities and works for all missionaries and for an increase to the missionary vocation as we celebrate World Mission Sunday on October 18.

“We Find Ourselves When We Give Ourselves to Others.”

In Preparation for World Mission Sunday, October 18, 2020

By Fr. Dominic Tran, SDB, Province Delegate for Vocation Ministry

Pope Francis, in his message for the 2020 World Mission Sunday, reminds the Church that the Church is in the world with the mission of bringing God’s message of peace, unity, healing, and mercy to the world.  Reflecting on the experience of the disciples in the storm, the Holy Father wrote, “Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples, who spoke anxiously with one voice, saying ‘We are perishing’ (Mark 4: 38), so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.  The mission that God entrusts to each one of us leads us from fear and introspection to a renewed realization that we find ourselves precisely when we give ourselves to others.”

Jesus, the missionary of the Father, gave himself to humanity.  And over the history of the Church, the Pope emphasized, “It is Christ who makes the Church go out of herself.”

As Salesians, we have the example of Don Bosco who “studied, worked, lived” and was “ready to even give his life” for young people.

The Salesian Family, belonging to the Church, is called to live Don Bosco’s “da mihi animas, cetera tolle.” We thank God for calling us to live the Gospel in this way.

2020 marks the 20th Anniversary of the canonization of the Salesian proto martyrs, Sts. Luigi Versiglia and Callistus Caravario. We thank God for giving them the courage to lay down their lives to defend those in their care.

May Jesus inspire and strengthen us to follow Him, bringing the Father’s love to the world.

May the Father, the Lord of the harvest, increase our Salesian Family in numbers and zeal to continue the mission that the Holy Spirit entrusted to Don Bosco, with Mary’s intercession.

In particular, as the Salesian monthly missionary intentions suggest, let us pray

+ that “many among our young animators and committed lay people may be inspired to offer their time and capacities to missionary service”

+ and that “we promote and involve young people in the missionary call of the Lord, so that courageous initiatives of missionary voluntary work may flourish among our young people.”

+ for young people who are VIDES and Salesian Lay Missioners.

Reference: Pope’s message for 2020 World Mission Sunday, in various languages.