In his message for this year’s mission Sunday, Pope Francis emphasises the theme “Hearts on Fire, Feet on the Move.” This phrase relays the concept of synodality, in which we sojourn together as a body after the example of Christ, the Head. Ours is a mission to communicate the Gospel to the nooks and crannies of the globe, sparing no nation or community the chance to remain ignorant of Christ.
To fulfil this herculean yet satisfying task, Pauline editors must embrace this endeavour with the brand of passion typical of St Paul; “I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” According to the Holy Father, we are to share Christ we encounter. This is demonstrated in the lives of Saint Paul and Blessed James Alberione, who met Christ differently, resulting in a genuine and ardent zeal to preach the Gospel to the people of their time.
We have to sustain their legacies and go on with the propagation of the Good News with an unquenchable hunger uncommon to the men and women of our time so that all may come to the knowledge of Christ and his kingdom. We encounter Jesus in the meditation, the breaking of the Word and Bread, and the Visit to the Blessed Sacrament. In this coming together, we lessen our anxiety, and He invigorates, encourages and stimulates us to continue his mission here on earth.
It is fundamental, therefore, for the Pauline editors to scrutinise the impact and the level of growth we make in the media landscape. Have we employed social media enough to fulfil our mission? Have we aligned ourselves with the vision of our founder? Have we kept up with the ever-changing social media landscape? What accomplishments have we achieved thus far? By asking these questions, we can recalibrate ourselves, staying up-to-date and utilising social media to propagate the good news while being mindful of the signs of the times.
Proclaim the Gospel most radically so that no one will be oblivious to the transformative power of the Good News. Our ‘Missio ad Gentes’ may not involve physically travelling from country to country like other missionaries. Still, through the limitless power of social media, we can reach the ends of the earth, fulfilling Christ’s mission statement.