AFRICA/MALAWI - Towards Mission Day: "Responding generously to the call of the Lord"

Blantyre (Agenzia Fides) - "The theme of this year's World Mission Day: Here I am, send me, at first made me think that Pope Francis wanted to address young people in particular", writes to Agenzia Fides Anna Tomasi, of the Franciscan Auxiliary Lay Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception (F.A.L.M.I.). In all vocational school fields or youth meetings, one of the most used biblical quotes is precisely this to help give a prompt and generous response to the call of the Lord", underlines Anna, a missionary in Malawi.
"Reflecting more deeply and reading the Holy Father's message I felt that Isaiah's answer is valid for everyone and at any age. The Lord's Question: Who will I send? Who will go for us ? We are continually asked, always and wherever we can answer: Here I am, send me. Send me to give a word of comfort to those who are sad and discouraged, a smile of hope to those in prison, some food to those who are hungry, an encouragement to those who are struggling to reach a goal, advice to those who do not know what more to do, a handshake to make our participation in the joy and pain of our brothers and sisters felt".
Anna, engaged in particular in the health, education and assistance sectors in prisons in Malawi, points out that the response varies, as our life varies, but certainly its intensity and effectiveness does not diminish over the years. "I am an elderly missionary, but I feel I can give an answer when ever timely and important. I am experiencing the sunset of my missionary life in Malawi and it is nice to be able to say here I am, I am here for you, Lord, I am here to take you where I can go, with joy and gratuitousness. I am here to share with my Malawian brothers and sisters the gifts you have given me, I am here simply to tell everyone that you love us as we are and call us to be as you want us. I am here as a sister, mum and grandmother. Therefore I repeat again with a heart full of gratitude for the missionary vocation "Here I am, send me" Lord as long as you want".
In line with Pope Francis' speech for WMD 2020, in which the Holy Father says that he is convinced that last year's extraordinary missionary month stimulated a missionary conversion in many communities, the missionary declared that "this year, for the first time, in our parish they started talking about WMD at the beginning of October, inviting the faithful to pray and to be generous in giving. In order for the collection to be more consistent than in previous years, each base community was asked to collect a certain amount in the area which will be added to the offers of all the faithful on October 18. These are small steps that indicate greater sensitivity and missionary commitment. Without a doubt - concludes Anna - even here in Malawi it would be of great help to have subsidies for the whole month with the intentions of the various weeks. The most active are children already well organized at a national and diocese level. Unfortunately this year it was not possible to hold the national meeting, but in the archdiocese of Blantyre the children of Missionary Childhood in October will go to visit a hospital together with the Archbishop, Mgr.Thomas L. Msusa, to bring gifts to the sick, especially to hospitalized children. They were supposed to make this visit during Lent, but this was not possible due to the coronavirus. Now the situation is possible here in Malawi". (AT/AP) (Agenzia Fides, 14/10/2020)

Share:

world mission day

---

---

missionary animation

---

---

missionary institutes

---

---

evangelization

---

---