BY: STELLA ZULU
The sisters of Mary Consoler affiliated to the Diocese of Chikwawa have been urged to cultivate a passion for the universal mission of the church and demonstrate passion for mission in their everyday life.
The call was made by the National Director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi, Rev. Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa when he opened a one week workshop at Nyungwe St. John of the Cross Prayer Centre in the Archdiocese of Blantyre. The workshop was held under the theme‘Missionary nature of the church and the role of PMS’.
In his remarks, Fr. Mwakhwawa reminded the sisters about St. John Paulin the encyclical RedemptorisMissio of 1991 where he urged all pastoral agents and believers on the need to renew missionary zeal in the modern times because the missionary work of redemption, after 2000 years was just beginning.
“The Catholic Church is by her nature missionary, the church was born to evangelize and as such, each and every sister has to cultivate a missionary spirit. There should be no room for complacency when doing missionary work as if everyone has heard the gospel of salvation.” said Fr. Mwakhwawa.
The sisters were also encouraged to internalize the missionary spirituality as given in the RedemptorisMissio which is to listen and be obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit who is the catalyst in the mission of the church.He also urged them to love and be close to Christ the master of mission, to love humanity and the church just as Christ did and to be Holy for Holiness of Pastoral agents is an ardor that helps in missionary work.
Quoting the words of Pope Francis of EvangeliiGaudium, Fr. Mwakhwawa said the sisters should aim at becoming a community of missionary disciples so that with their charisma they can indeed go forth and meet and help those who are afflicted and have no hope in life.
“Through your Charisma and apostolates, transform others whom you encounter and work with into the missionary disciples by instilling the missionary spirit in them. He continued
The missionary workshop was organized by the MCA sisters for their junior sisters and novices in order to give ongoing missionary formation to their members.