On World Mission Sunday, we renew our commitment to share the Gospel through prayer, generosity, and the witness of our lives. This year’s theme, “One in Christ, united in mission,” reminds us that we share this responsibility as members of one family. Through baptism, we are united with Christ and sent to make his love known. We have different gifts and circumstances, yet each of us has a part to play. The Second Vatican Council teaches that the Church is missionary by her very nature. Mission belongs to every baptised person. We support those who proclaim the Gospel in distant lands, while also recognising the needs close to home: the lonely neighbour, the struggling family, the person without work or shelter. When we offer our time, friendship, and practical help, we make Christ’s love visible. United in him, we can answer God’s question, “Whom shall I send?” with willing hearts: “Here I am, send me!”
In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees and the Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? Jesus asks them to show him the coin used for the tax. He then asks whose image and inscription it bears. When they answer, “Caesar’s,” Jesus says: “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” His answer invites us to look beyond the coin. Caesar’s image is stamped on money. But whose image is stamped upon us? The Book of Genesis tells us that God created human beings in his own image. We belong to God. Our lives, our abilities, our time, and our love are gifts entrusted to us. Giving to God what belongs to God means offering him our whole lives. It means allowing his goodness to shape our choices. It also means recognising his image in others: in the child, the elderly neighbour, the stranger, and the person we find difficult to love. No one is without dignity. No one is beyond God’s concern.
Mission, therefore, begins wherever we are. Some are called to leave their homeland and serve in distant countries. Others are called to bear witness at home, at work, and in their parish. Parents share the Gospel through the love and faith they teach their children. Young people witness through kindness and honesty. The sick and elderly contribute through prayer and the wisdom they share. How can our community help people experience God’s love? How can we strengthen our faith and pass it on to the next generation? We begin by drawing closer to Christ together.
Pope Leo XIV gives us a timely reminder in his message for World Mission Sunday: “If unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence.” This year’s theme, “One in Christ, united in mission,” invites us to serve together. Our witness becomes stronger when we forgive one another, overcome divisions, and welcome people with kindness. A community that speaks about love must also practise it. Mission begins in prayer, where we listen to Jesus and allow him to change our hearts. The Eucharist brings us together and strengthens us to serve. We need not have extraordinary gifts to become missionaries. A willing heart, a listening ear, and a generous spirit can help someone discover Christ’s presence and experience the joy of belonging to his family.
Our mission also reaches beyond our parish. Through prayer, generosity, and support for missionaries, we can share responsibility for the needs of the wider Church and world. This week, let each of us choose one simple act of mission: visit someone lonely, encourage a struggling family, pray for a missionary, or offer help to someone in need. We reflect God’s image when we share his love. May our lives become our answer to his call: “Here I am, send me!”
Fr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil