XXIX SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
The third Sunday of October marks the WORLD MISSION SUNDAY APPEAL, although we will read the Ordinary Sunday readings my reflection will make mention of the missionaries.
I will start directly with an anecdote. A few days ago I visited friends in Owensboro. They have a restaurant, and although they have very good food, a lot of people like their service. They serve good portions, the place is elegant, the people who work there are very friendly and the people who have visited rave about it. Despite all this they have not excelled over other restaurants. Their restaurant opened over a year ago. A month ago, they went to a food tasting event and many people said they do not know about them. The big question is: why would they not know about them? The answer is simple, because they need publicity, they need promotion. When they did a little publicity their customers grew.
You could now ask me: What’s the relationship between the restaurant and the Gospel and Christ? The easy answer is in those 2000 years of Christianity, there are still many places where they do not know Christ and his Word of salvation because no one wants to go and to proclaim the Good News of salvation. In this selfish world we lack priests, religious brothers and religious sisters, and laity who want to give their lives for Christ and the Gospel.
You could also ask me: why would I choose the USA for mission and not elsewhere? My response, to clarify, my answer is: because it is also a land of mission. Many times I had said I was not going to do priestly ministry or a mission in the United States. Before accepting, I came to get to know the area and between Paul Witte and Byron Macias they took me to different houses and I listened to people and their needs. What I heard from the people made me accept to come here as a land of mission. God has many blessings for me all this time, and although I am very comfortable here because now I have the love of many people, I also think that one day I will depart to other lands. The Diocese of Owensboro has invited me to stay and incardinate, and I always told them no thanks. Not because I want to return to my country, but because I want to one day go to share my faith and the joy of Christ who called me and God who forgave me, and my hope is to announce the salvation to other parts where they do not know Christ.
The Diocese of Owensboro is considered one of the poorest Dioceses in the United States, and the parish where I serve as pastor, is one of the poorest parishes, which always needs a subsidy from the Diocese and others parishes to survive. I’m feeling like a missionary even here in the United States. I have traveled most of the Diocese as the Spiritual Director of Hispanic Ministry, and I can say with great satisfaction that I have been with and have walked with the people, regardless of fatigue, distance or cost of moving. I did it because I am convinced that it is what Christ would do, that’s what Christ did for me.
Since Bishop Medley appointed me as a pastor, I have devoted time to my parish. I visit and celebrate Mass once a month in the nursing home. Along with Patti Gutierrez we handle the Faith Formation for children, classes for catechumens, and Arise faith sharing groups, without forgetting the social side of accompanying people to the doctor, visiting the sick and homebound, and seeking help for many brothers and sisters.
Mission is to go outside from ourselves, it is to get up and get going to bring the love of God for many brothers and sisters, even when they have heard of Christ, many of them do not know Him. Missionaries are the people who give themselves to God in the service of others.
Now you can say to me: you forgot the readings! No, I did not forget them. Saint Paul says: “For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction. You know what sort of people we were among you for your sake” (1 Thess. 1, 5). I invite you to pray for missionaries, for those who in their own places preach salvation. Pray for those who have left their land to go after Christ, bringing the Good News. Pray for those missionaries who are going through tribulations for Christ’s sake, may God give them strength. God grant abundant missionaries to His church and many more people to know Christ and reach Salvation. Amen.