In his 2024 World Mission Day message, Pope Francis wrote, “In the king’s command to his servants, we find two words that express the heart of the mission: the verbs ‘to go out’ and ‘to invite’. … Mission is a tireless going out to all men and women, in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with him.”
Maryknoll Lay Missioners joins the Church and the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. Pope Francis invited us to celebrate the joy of the Gospel, and the missionary vocation of every disciple. His legacy of love, mercy, and justice for the most vulnerable will continue to inspire our ministries. For Maryknoll Lay Missioners he was a beacon of light that illuminated the way towards a nonviolent, compassionate world where the dignity of all people matters and the integrity of Creation is our common goal.
His words always said it best:
“Mission is never the fruit
of a perfectly planned program
or well-organized manual.
Mission is always the fruit
of a life which knows what it is
to be found and healed,
encountered and forgiven.
Mission is born
of a constant experience
of God’s merciful anointing.”
May it be so.
Amen.
Elvira Ramirez is Maryknoll Lay Missioners’ executive director.
