The Holy Spirit, the soul of the Mission
“For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward. If not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me”. Cf. 1 Corinthians 9:16-17. Through this passage, the Apostle Paul reminds us the urgency of making the Word of God known to all.
This proclamation of the Word of God is made possible thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, who since the event of Pentecost, pushes us to go far away to share it with others.
Pope Francis encourages us in these words,
“The Holy Spirit impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of the mission.
The events that took place in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago are not something far removed from us, they are events which affect us. The Pentecost of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is the beginning, a beginning which endures. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his Apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever. John 14:16. It is the Paraclete Spirit, the Comforter, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel. The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drives us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ”.
With Eugénie Caps, let us invoke the Spirit of boldness to be Missionaries, Holy, always ready to leave with joy wherever Christ calls us. “O Holy Spirit, You who orients all the movements of my life, show me the way that leads me to the end in order to realize the will of Jesus. Jesus, you were a missionary and I feel happy to be called to the same life. Yes, my Jesus, you are the perfect model of missionaries. Make me to follow you always with fidelity. Amen! ” Cf. Excerpts from the missionary prayer of Sister Eugénie Caps.