The word mission comes from the Latin missio, meaning “sending.” A missionary, above all, is sent—not by personal initiative, but by God. The Father sends the Son; the risen Christ then tells us, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).

The missionary is not only the one who crosses oceans. At your baptism, heaven placed a seal on you and a summons in your heart. You were sent — into your home, your workplace, your neighborhood, the parish parking lot. You don't need a passport to be a missionary. You need only remember that you don't belong to yourself. A mission possesses you.

And what do we carry? Euangelion — good news. In the ancient world, it announced a victory: a battle won, everything changed. The Church took the word for exactly that reason. The Church does not simply have a mission; the mission has the Church. We do not market a program or recruit for a cause; we announce that the decisive victory has already happened — Christ has died, Christ is risen — and we invite everyone to come and live inside that victory.

This week, I invite you—let us pray for our missionaries, encourage vocations in our parish, and give generously to World Mission Sunday. Then wherever you go, carry one question: who here needs the good news I carry? Then be the answer: a word, a kindness, an invitation. The mission field is wherever you are, and the Good News begins with you!

Blessings in Christ,
Fr. Lijoy Jose, OFM Cap.
Pastor

ON-GOING EVENTS

3rd Sundays