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| As displayed in our exhibit, Saint John Paul II was always on mission throughout his pontificate. |
As we await the Lord’s second coming this Advent, many people throughout the world are still waiting to
be introduced to Him. Saint John Paul II addressed this very issue in his
encyclical Redemptoris Missio, which celebrated its 24th anniversary
this past weekend. To preach the Gospel is the vocation of every man, and
through this letter, the late Holy Father guided the faithful on how to live like him, as a people on mission.
“No believer in Christ, no
institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to
all peoples,” wrote John Paul II, for it is Christ who reveals God to us and reveals man to himself. The Church must always be on mission, because:
…true
liberation consists in opening oneself to the love of Christ. In him, and only
in him, are we set free from all alienation and doubt, from slavery to the
power of sin and death. Christ is truly “our peace” (Eph 2:14); “the love of
Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14), giving meaning and joy to our life.
…Newness
of life in him is the "Good News" for men and women of every age: all
are called to it and destined for it. Indeed, all people are searching for it,
albeit at times in a confused way, and have a right to know the value of this
gift and to approach it freely.
All people are made to be
a part of the Kingdom of God, and as Christians we are called to respond to
the missionary grace that the Father bestows upon each and every one of us.
Relying upon the Holy Spirit, “the principal agent of mission,” we are each
called to evangelize in our own unique ways, witnessing to the Gospel with our
lives and preaching it to those who have never heard it and to those who need to hear it again.
