A meeting of the IV National Commission for the Missions and the Pontifical Mission Societies which has been taking place in Santiago del Estero (Argentina) on the theme: Missions, a style of life, has concluded today. Pope Francis has sent a message to the participants, the text of which was published today.
Dear brothers,
I greet you affectionately and am spiritually united to the celebration of the IV National Meeting of Missionary Groups. I hope that we will always remember that we cannot show others what we ourselves have not seen or heard. Therefore, in order to be a missionary, before you can proclaim, in order to communicate, you must first see. See for yourself that Jesus became small in order to take on our weakness, that he took on mortal flesh, in order to strengthen us with immortality and in order that he might come daily to meet us and extend his hand in friendship in times of difficulty.
Dear brothers, never forget the call, your first encounter with Jesus, the joy with which you received the first proclamation, perhaps through your parents, your grandparents, your catechists or your teachers. And do not forget to pray, to pray for each other, to support one another in prayer, and be like Jesus, who through us, despite our weaknesses, works miracles for all his people.
Also, do not forget that Jesus is passionate about the missions; this is his passion for his people: Let us look toward Jesus, but let us also become mirrors of Jesus. Mirrors of his tenderness, his understanding, his compassion and his mercy that leads us to touch the wounds of the Lord in the flesh of our brothers in need. Seeing Jesus in others purifies the heart, frees us from egotism, and frees us from selfishness, from ulterior motives and from every earthly desire.
I hope that these brief reflections may encourage you to continue building an outreaching Church, a group that works in solidarity to communicate the joy that the Lord has placed in our hearts.
May Jesus bless you and may the Holy Virgin protect you ... and please, I ask you to pray for me.
Affectionately,
Francis
From the Vatican
10 October 2015
Message of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to participants in the IV Argentinian National Commission for the Missions
and the Pontifical Mission Societies
Dear brothers,
I greet you affectionately and am spiritually united to the celebration of the IV National Meeting of Missionary Groups. I hope that we will always remember that we cannot show others what we ourselves have not seen or heard. Therefore, in order to be a missionary, before you can proclaim, in order to communicate, you must first see. See for yourself that Jesus became small in order to take on our weakness, that he took on mortal flesh, in order to strengthen us with immortality and in order that he might come daily to meet us and extend his hand in friendship in times of difficulty.
Dear brothers, never forget the call, your first encounter with Jesus, the joy with which you received the first proclamation, perhaps through your parents, your grandparents, your catechists or your teachers. And do not forget to pray, to pray for each other, to support one another in prayer, and be like Jesus, who through us, despite our weaknesses, works miracles for all his people.
Also, do not forget that Jesus is passionate about the missions; this is his passion for his people: Let us look toward Jesus, but let us also become mirrors of Jesus. Mirrors of his tenderness, his understanding, his compassion and his mercy that leads us to touch the wounds of the Lord in the flesh of our brothers in need. Seeing Jesus in others purifies the heart, frees us from egotism, and frees us from selfishness, from ulterior motives and from every earthly desire.
I hope that these brief reflections may encourage you to continue building an outreaching Church, a group that works in solidarity to communicate the joy that the Lord has placed in our hearts.
May Jesus bless you and may the Holy Virgin protect you ... and please, I ask you to pray for me.
Affectionately,
Francis
From the Vatican
10 October 2015
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