“Encourage Christians to pray within their families; create greater awareness of World Mission Day and the missionary obligations of each baptized person; ask the faithful to contribute financially to the missionary activities of the Church”, are the three main areas that the National Direction of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Malawi is strengthening in view of the preparations for World Mission Day (GMM) which will take place on October 24.
As Fides learns, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa, National Director of the PMS in Malawi, urged the country’s Catholics to create greater awareness and pray for the success of organizing this year’s mission month and World Mission Day.
Following a meeting to start the preparations, held in the parish of San Vincenzo De Paoli (Katamba), diocese of Zomba, Fr. Mwakhwawa said Christians need to fully understand what Mission Month and World Mission Day are, so they can actively participate in the various activities planned for October. “We asked all the Catholic associations of the diocese to participate in the preparation of the WMD”, said Vito Sandifolo, president of the Council for the laity of the diocese of Zomba, who spoke at the meeting. According to Sandifolo, the diocese has also distributed information material on the PMS to all parishes so that Christians can help each other to fully understand the true meaning of the missionary month and missionary Sunday.
The diocese of Zomba will be the host for this year’s event, under the aegis of the Acts of the Apostles “we cannot remain silent about what we have seen and heard”.
“Once we experience the power of God’s love and recognize his fatherly presence in our personal and community life, we cannot help but proclaim and share what we have seen and heard,” Pope Francis wrote in his message for World Mission Day 2021. Jesus’ relationship with his disciples and his humanity, as revealed to us in the mystery of his Incarnation, Gospel, and Paschal Mystery, shows us the extent to which God loves our humanity and makes his own our joys and sufferings, our hopes, and our concerns (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 22). Everything about Christ reminds us that he knows well our world and its need for redemption, and calls us to become actively engaged in this mission: “Go therefore to the highways and byways and invite everyone you find” (Mt 22:9). No one is excluded, no one need to feel distant or removed from this compassionate love.”
