AMERICA/VENEZUELA - Missionary preparation and animation begins for the month of October

Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - "Missionaries with the Spirit, to the ends of the earth" is the motto chosen by the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of Venezuela for Missionary October. "We live in times of great challenges, but also of solid hope. The action of the Holy Spirit continues to be present among us and continues to shake the Church so that it responds with greater authenticity to the mission that the Lord has entrusted to it: 'Make disciples' and be one 'so that the world may believe'. There is no other horizon for the Church than that of mission and communion. And it is the Holy Spirit who has the task of helping us lead the way, as he is doing in our time through the pontificate of Pope Francis", recalled the National Director of the Venezuelan PMS, Father Ricardo Elías Guillén, during the presentation of the communication campaign for World Mission Sunday to the diocesan directors of the PMS.
"The celebration of Mission Day - reads the Venezuelan PMS website - means reaffirming how prayer, reflection and material help of your offerings are an opportunity to actively participate in the mission of Jesus in his Church."
The PMS offer a detailed illustration of World Mission Day, explaining what this day is, who organizes it, to whom the funds raised on the occasion are destined and how one can collaborate in this central event in the life of the Church.
Three forms of participation are suggested, firstly prayer and the offering of daily sufferings for the evangelization of the world. Along with this, the offering of one's own time is suggested. "Every year thousands of people spend their holidays living a missionary experience. In many cases this turns into recurring and even long-term volunteering", it is noted.
"All Christians, with their baptism, are called to be missionaries in all areas of their lives - it continues - Some are called in a special way to leave everything and go on mission ad gentes, outside their borders. They are a testimony for all Christians".
The third form of participation indicated is economic. In addition to recalling that there are some 1,115 Mission Territories, which represent a third of the dioceses in the world and that almost half of the world's population lives in "mission territories" (44.82%), it is worth noting that in Venezuela, given the difficult food situation, part of the money raised on World Mission Sunday is used to support 20 soup kitchens. This means that there are some 4,633 beneficiaries in the mission territories throughout the country for a total of 76,640 meals served monthly.
Also on the web it is possible to download materials for the preparation of Missionary October and the celebration of World Mission Day, useful for prayer, animation and missionary formation, as well as the "Missionary Novena", which aims to be a guide of prayer and reflection on the physical and existential peripheries and the missionary response of the Church. Specifically, the Venezuelan PMS have prepared different subsidies for all age groups and different "status": children, adolescents, youth, missionary families, the sick and the elderly, seminarians, nuns and priests. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 5/9/2022)

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