EDITORIAL

THE JOY OF THE BANQUET

BY Rafael Armada | EDITOR

EVERY YEAR, on the third Sunday of October, the Church celebrates World Mission Day (WMD). For this occasion, Pope Francis has written a message based on the parable of the wedding feast (Mt 22: 1-14), entitled: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet.”

The invitation points, first of all, to being aware of the banquet prepared for humanity by God, who opens the doors of the Hall and insistently manifests His desire to welcome everyone inside. The Church, and each one of us, is entrusted with the mission of going out to encounter our brothers and sisters who have not yet experienced the joy of being guests at this divine banquet—a banquet of fraternity and healing, made visible in the Eucharist.

The Pope reminds us in his message that in a world with so many “banquets of consumerism, selfish comfort, accumulation of wealth, and individualism,” the Gospel calls everyone to the divine banquet marked by joy, sharing, justice, and fraternity in communion with God and with others.

This year’s WMD coincides with the Second Session of the Synod on Synodality, where Church members from various groups are gathered to reflect on “How to be a synodal Church in Mission.” The invitation, according to the Instrumentum Laboris (IL), is guided by the Holy Spirit, encouraging a broader participation and co-responsibility among all the baptized. As pilgrims, we follow the Lord, serving His mission and rekindling hope in humanity’s hearts.

We are all needed, with our gifts, talents, vocations, and ministries, bringing together the contributions of both women and men. We are called to break barriers of race and status (IL 14) and to understand the desires of humanity, striving to be relevant to their aspirations. It is a call to unity in diversity, acknowledging the different contexts in which the Church is present.

Ten themes of reflection emerged from the First Session of the Synod, among them the cry of the poor, mission in a digital environment, and methodologies to discern pastoral and ethical issues.

Saint Daniel Comboni, our founder, was passionate about the desire that all people, especially the African people, could experience the joy of knowing Jesus Christ. In this October, we Comboni missionaries conclude a year-long celebration of our centenary presence in South Africa—a call for gratitude.

The Pope also expresses this gratitude in his message: “I take this opportunity to thank all those missionaries who, in response to Christ’s call, have left everything behind to go far from their homeland and bring the Good News to places where people have not yet received it, or received it only recently.” We also extend gratitude to our families, especially to our parents who nurtured our vocations.

On a personal note, I join in that spirit of gratitude, celebrating my mother’s 100th birthday. She gave life to twelve children, including two religious priests.

Happy missionary month to all!