Saint John Paul II's Message to Us

We must become like the First Christians

Faithful and Vigilant Stewards

The universal call to holiness is closely linked to the universal call to mission. Every member of the faithful is called to holiness and to mission. This was the earnest desire of the Second Vatican Council, which hoped to be able “to enlighten all people with the brightness of Christ, which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the Gospel to every creature.” The Church's missionary spirituality is a journey toward holiness.....

And a Little Child shall lead them. Mother Angelica
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What is needed is the encouragement of a new ardor for holiness.... Dear brothers and sisters: let us remember the missionary enthusiasm of the firs Christian communities. Depsite the limited means of travel and communication in those times, the proclamation of the Gospel quickly reached the ends of the earth. And this was the religion of a man who had died on a cross....! Underlying this missionary dynamism was the holiness of the first Christians and the first communities....You must be like the first Christians and radiate enthusiasm and courage, in generous devotion to God and neighbor: In a word, you must set yourselves on the path of holiness. Only thus can you be a sign of God in the world.... Today, as never before, the Church has the opportunity of bringing the Gospel, by witness and word, to all people and nations. I see the dawning of a new missionary age, which will become a radiant day bearing an abundant harvest, if all Christians....respond with generosity and holiness to the calls and challenges of our time.

Like the apostles afte Christ”s Ascension, the Church must gather in the Upper Room together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14), in order to pray for the Spirit and to gain strength and courage to carry out the missionary mandate. We too, like the apostles need to be transformed and guided by the Spirit.... Mary is the model of that maternal love that should inspire all who cooperate in the Church's apostolic mission for the rebirth of humanity. Therefore, strengthened by the presence of Christ, the Church journeys through time toward the consummation of the ages and goes to meet the Lord who comes.

Saint John Paul, II

Courtesy Magnificat October 2024