MISSION SUNDAY 2025 AND 29TH SUNDAY YEAR C

 29TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C AND 2025 MISSION SUNDAY

The readings from the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) and the message of Pope Francis for 2025 Mission Sunday highlight the importance of persistent prayer, enduring faith, and active missionary service. Pope Francis has written the message nefoe his death.

The key lessons include the need to support each other in prayer, as illustrated by Moses and Aaron in their battle with the Amalekites, and the necessity of constant prayer for success in the face of obstacles. These readings emphasize that missionary work is a call to each baptized person, where faith is lived out through consistent prayer and a commitment to bringing the love by Jesus and hope to others.  

A. PERSISTENT PRAYER AND ITS IMPACT

CONSTANT PRAYER IS CRUCIAL: The parable of the persistent widow and the story of Moses at the battle against the Amalekites both show that God responds to persistent and faithful prayer. 

SUPPORT IN PRAYER: Like Aaron and Hur supporting the hands of Moses, we are called to support one another in prayer, especially when facing spiritual battles or missionary challenges. 

PRAYER AS A RELATIONSHIP: Prayer is not just a dialing for an emergency number but a sustained relationship with God, which requires constant communication and trust in His timing. 

B. ENDURING FAITH AND PERSEVERANCE

FAITH IS ENDURING, NOT FLEETING: The readings remind us that faith is a steady commitment that requires perseverance, not just a feeling. 

TRUST IN THE TIMING OF GOD: We are called to have a deeper trust in God's timing, especially in a world that often emphasizes speed and convenience. 

FAITH IS ROOTED IN ACTION: The Christian journey of faith requires both prayer and action, with scripture serving as a guiding principle for both. 

C. ACTIVE MISSIONARY SERVICE

EVERYONE IS A MISSIONARY: The mission of the Church is not limited to priests or clergy; every baptized person is a mission to the world, called to share the love of God and bring hope to others. 

MISSION BEGINS AT HOME: Missionary work starts in our own homes and communities and spreads from there. 

JOY IN MISSION COMES FROM LOVE, NOT GIFTS: The true joy of being a missionary comes from the lives we touch and the love we share, not from material rewards. 

BRINGING CHRIST TO OTHERS: Mission is about bringing the Word of Jesus Christ, the Sacraments, and the saving love to those who long for meaning and belonging. 

TYPES OF MISSION

Missio ad Extra

Missio ad Gentes

Missio ad Intra

MISSION AD EXTRA means mission to the outside and refers to any missionary activity that takes place outside of the country or community of origin of that person.  The focus is working in a foreign land or a culture different from the culture of that person. The goal is to serve and evangelize in a new context, whether to those who have heard the message or not. 

MISSION AD GENTES means mission to the nations and refers to missionary work specifically aimed at those who have not yet heard the Gospel. It is a specific type of missionary work directed at non-Christians or those who have not yet heard the Christian message. The focus is Global evangelization and spreading the Gospel to new peoples and cultures. The goal is to bring the message of Christ to all nations. 

OVERLAPPING AND DISTINCTION BETWEEN AD GENTES AND AD EXTRA

Overlap: An ad gentes mission is always an ad extra mission because it involves going outside the local community of believers. 

Distinction: An ad extra mission is not necessarily an ad gentes mission. For example, a missionary working in a foreign country to help existing Christian communities would be considered an ad extra mission, but not an ad gentes mission. 

MISSIO AD INTRA means mission to the inside and refers to the internal renewal of the Church and her reflection on its own faith, doctrine, and relationship with God. 

Missio ad intra: Mission to the inside. It is about the inner life of the Church, its renewal, and the strengthening of its own community and doctrine. 

Missio ad extra: Mission to the outside. This refers to the mission of the Church and the evangelization efforts directed outward toward the world. 

Missio ad gentes: Mission to the peoples. This is a specific type of ad extra mission that involves bringing the Gospel to those who have not yet heard it. 

The Nigerian Catholic Church carries out MISSIO AD INTRA (mission within the Church) through various means, including evangelization and pastoral care using new media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to reach members, lay apostolate and missionary cooperation to engage the laity in evangelization, liturgical acculturation to help people better understand and express their faith, and socio-educational and vocational initiatives to serve the community. These activities are supported by national pastoral plans and a focus on integral development and the prophetic role of the Church. 

KEY STRATEGIES FOR MISSIO AD INTRA

LEVERAGING NEW MEDIA: Parishes, dioceses, and sodalities use social media platforms to communicate and evangelize, especially to members who are ill or unable to attend Mass. 

EMPOWERING THE LAITY: Recognizing the essential role of the laity, the Church fosters lay apostolate and missionary cooperation to engage the faithful in the mission of evangelization from within. 

ACCULTURATION: The Church incorporates local cultural practices, such as the Igba Eze dance in liturgical processions, to help people connect more deeply with their faith. 

PASTORAL PLANNING: The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, through its Directorate of Social Communications, develops and executes a national pastoral plan for social communications, which is then adapted by each diocese. 

COMMUNITY SERVICE: The mission of the Church extends to integral human development through educational and vocational programs, including established schools, vocational training, and agricultural initiatives. 

PROPHETIC VOICE: The Church uses its prophetic role to advocate for the poor and marginalized, speak out against injustice, and promote ethical behavior, all while maintaining credibility and a focus on serving the people. 

INTERNAL RENEWAL: The focus is on strengthening the faith of existing members, fostering unity, and encouraging personal witness to the Gospel within the community

HELP YOUR PRIESTS TO DO THE WORK

You can help parish priests by offering prayer, practical assistance, and active involvement in parish life. Supporting them through prayer, sharing meals, helping with parish tasks, and showing appreciation are all effective ways to assist them in their demanding work. 

Pray for your priests regularly: Many priests appreciate it when their parishioners pray for them, as they know their work is demanding. 

Share meals: Help with their meals by inviting them to dinner, setting up a meal train, or dropping off groceries. 

Assist with tasks: Offer to help with non-priestly duties like parish administration, maintenance, or event planning. 

Encourage their spiritual well-being: Gently help them get support when needed, and support them in their dedication. 

Participate in Parish activities: Attend Mass and other parish events. Consider joining groups in the church.

 

Volunteer your time: Offer your skills and time to the parish. This can include helping with youth programs, teaching, or joining an events committee. 

Show appreciation: Write a note to thank your priest, or simply say thank you in person. A little appreciation goes a long way to show support and encouragement. 

Be a good steward: Support the decisions of your bishop and pope. Respecting their authority can make your priest's job easier. 

Celebrate their Special Days: Celebrating the birthday and ordination day of the priests are good thoughts, too. It is nice to be remembered on the day of my priestly ordination.

Pray More, Complain Less: The vast majority of interactions seem to revolve around a complaint about the priest, the parish, a parishioner, the music, the temperature in the church, a burned out lightbulb, a decision, etc. and rarely about the supernatural realities.

Offer to help: Do not wait to be asked! Priests are ordained to be given, and it is hard for us to ask for things. Volunteer your time to the parish as a sign of support and service. Consider increasing your tithe to support the parish and priest.

Go to Mass and/or Confession: Nothing will make a priest happier. Pick a day, go to a Mass that he is celebrating, and get a bunch of people to sit in the front rows. When Father asks you after Mass why, tell him you were offering your participation at Mass in thanksgiving for His priesthood.

Write them a note expressing your Gratitude: A note, especially to a priest with whom you have lost touch, letting him know how his priesthood impacted your life; and that you are still with the program, means a lot.

The below are two remarks from a priests:

My favorite thing to receive from people is a letter. Not a card with a few words. Those are nice too, but I love receiving a letter or a card with a substantial message in it. It is very powerful to hear somebody describe exactly HOW the thing I said or did was so fruitful for them. It is a reminder that Jesus is a lot bigger than me and he can do great things with the little I have to offer.

I really appreciate when people say to me personally or send notes of gratitude: Thanks for your priesthood, Thanks for being our pastor. Thanks for answering the call. Writing to say thank you to your parish priest goes much further than you may think

Tell them that they have made a difference in your life.

Write them a thank you with a tone of appreciation.

Simple notes mean a great deal to priests these days. Things like notes of appreciation after funerals and weddings, a simple compliment after a well prepared homily.

Say Thank You To Your Parish Priest: Thank the parish priest for every Mass. Even if you do not necessarily like the priest, as the Mass is always about the presence of Jesus. Even something as simple as saying to the priest after confession Thank you for your ministry and I will pray for you can mean a great deal.

Give them a compliment: Look for opportunities to compliment parish priests. Even ones you do not particularly like. I always cheer up when someone tells me after Mass, That was a beautiful Mass, Father.

Look Out For Their Wellbeing: Encourage priests to take time off.

Save The Drama: Avoid and discourage gossip about priests and parishes. Do not gossip or criticize, instead offer to help and to build up. I wonder how many vocations were ruined when young people hear adults tear down the parish priest, usually because of some petty parish dispute.

Let Them Know You Have Their Back: When you witness a situation when someone is being rude to a priest, let him know that you noticed and express compassion.

Be Supportive: Whenever there is something that is stressful, such as a difficult time during the parish, I know reinforcement is appreciated. I have not had much of that in my first 5 years (yet) but I recall some tremendously difficult funerals where people sent a nice note. I recall discovering a stash of notes here at St. Marys from 23 years ago when the school closed. The newspapers and some very vocal but few people were out for the pastor, using attacks of racist and uncaring. The pastor, then, saved all the dozens of notes from people offering to him their understanding at the difficult decision he made.

Give Them Space: Sometimes it is good to be just left alone, too. Stay away from what is called unkind kindness which is assuming Father is (Lonely, depressed, stressed, anxious, etc) when sometimes he needs to just blow off some steam.

Invite Them Over: It is nice when people think to invite me to family gatherings: special birthdays or anniversary celebrations, holiday dinners (even though I usually decline because Im with my own family  its nice to be invited).

© Rev Fr Utazi Prince Marie Benignus Zereuwa

October 18 2015