“Communion, Creativity, and Tenacity”
“Communion, creativity, and tenacity. Let us consider these essential words, which are relevant for the Church in its permanent state of mission, and especially for our Missionary Societies called to renewal in order to be ever more effective in service,” said Pope Francis while addressing the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies gathered in Rome for the Annual General Assembly last week. The Holy Father was addressing 120 National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies on Saturday, May 25, during the traditional audience for the Annual General Assembly. Many National Directors made the special trip to Rome to attend the Assembly at the “Fraterna Domus” spirituality center in Sacrofano.
Missio Malta’s National Director Rev. Victor Agius, who attended the Assembly, note how the annual meeting served to inspire and bolster the work of the international network of missionaries around the world. “The Annual General Assembly of the Pontifical Mission Societies serves as a moment for Directors to touch base and receive the needed spiritual guidance from the Holy Father, that is necessary to inspire the upcoming months of work. It is an opportunity for reflection and fellowship, in sharing the experiences and aspirations with fellow missionaries from around the globe. The experience is a unique occasion, of hope, towards a coordinated and well-organised missionary function that makes the difference in the lives of millions, on the ground,” Rev. Victor Agius said. Pope Francis discussed the Holy Trinity’s celebration from the previous day. He interpreted three key words in a missionary context, beginning with “communion”: “When we contemplate the Trinity, we see that God is a communion of persons, a mystery of love. The love with which God comes to seek and save us, rooted in his being One and Triune, is also the basis of the missionary nature of the pilgrim Church on earth.”
The “creativity” – the second word “delivered” by Pope Francis to the National Directors of the PMS – arises from being “rooted in God’s creative work, which makes all things new.” The Pope emphasized: “missionary activity is creative to the extent that Christ’s charity is its origin, form, and end. Thus, with inexhaustible imagination, such charity inspires new ways of evangelizing and serving others, especially the poorest.” “Tenacity”, the third word entrusted by Pope Francis to the reflection of the Assembly: “Let us also contemplate this characteristic of the love of the Triune God who, in order to fulfil his plan of salvation, with constant faithfulness has sent his servants throughout history and, in the fullness of time, gave himself in Christ Jesus. The divine mission ‘is a tireless going out to all men and women, in order to invite them to encounter God and enter into communion with him.”
The full address by His Holiness, Pope Francis is available on: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2024/may/documents/20240525-pom.html
The Annual General Assembly is a central event during the year, and this edition will focus on the renewal of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The Assembly’s work is set to continue until May 31.
“Komunjoni, Kreattività, u Tenaċità”
“Komunjoni, kreattività, u tenaċità. Ejjew nikkunsidraw dawn il-kliem essenzjali, li huma rilevanti għall-Knisja fl-istat permanenti tagħha ta’ missjoni, u speċjalment għas-Soċjetajiet Missjunarji tagħna msejħa għat-tiġdid sabiex ikunu dejjem aktar effettivi fis-servizz,” qal il-Papa Franġisku waqt li kien qed jindirizza lid-Diretturi Nazzjonali tasSoċjetajiet Pontifiċji Missjunarji miġbura f’Ruma għall-Assemblea Ġenerali Annwali l-ġimgħa li għaddiet. Il-Qdusija Tiegħu kien qed jindirizza 120 Direttur Nazzjonali tas-Soċjetajiet Pontifiċji Missjunarji nhar is-Sibt, 25 ta’ Mejju, waqt l-udjenza tradizzjonali għall-Assemblea Ġenerali Annwali. Ħafna Diretturi Nazzjonali għamlu vjaġġ speċjali lejn Ruma biex jattendu l-Assemblea fiċ-ċentru tal-Ispiritualità “Fraterna Domus” f’Sacrofano.
Id-Direttur Nazzjonali ta’ Missio Malta, Rev. Victor Agius, li attenda l-Assemblea, innota kif il-laqgħa annwali sservi biex tispira u tgħin ix-xogħol tal-qafas internazzjonali ta’ missjunarji madwar id-dinja. “L-Assemblea Ġenerali Annwali tas-Soċjetajiet Pontifiċji Missjunarji sservi lid-Diretturi bħala mument biex jingħaqdu u jirċievu l-gwida spiritwali meħtieġa mill-Qdusija Tiegħu, li tispira ix-xhur li ġejjin ta’ xogħol. Hija opportunità għal riflessjoni u komunjoni, fil-qsim tal-esperjenzi u l-aspirazzjonijiet mal-missjunarji sħab madwar id-dinja. L-esperjenza hija okkażjoni unika, ta’ tama, lejn funzjoni missjunarja kkoordinata u organizzata sewwa, li tagħmel id-differenza filħajja ta’ miljuni, madwar id-dinja,” qal Rev. Victor Agius. Il-Papa Franġisku ddiskuta ċ-ċelebrazzjoni tat-Trinità Qaddisa li kienet iċċelebrata lejliet. Huwa interpreta tliet kelmiet ewlenin f’kuntest missjunarju, b’l-ewwel waħda tkun ‘komunjoni’: “Meta nikkontemplaw it-Trinità, naraw li Alla huwa komunjoni ta’ persuni, misteru ta’ mħabba. L-imħabba li biha Alla jiġi jfittixna u jsalvana, imsejsa fl-esseri tiegħu Wieħed u Tlieta, hija wkoll il-bażi tan-natura missjunarja tal-Knisja pellegrina fuq l-art.”
Il-“kreattività”, it-tieni kelma mogħtija mill-Papa Franġisku lid-Diretturi Nazzjonali tas-Soċjetajiet Pontifiċji Missjunarji, hija ispirta mix-xogħol kreattiv ta’ Alla, “li jagħmel kollox ġdid.” Il-Papa saħaq, “L-attività missjunarja hija kreattiva sa fejn l-imħabba ta’ Kristu hija l-oriġini, il-forma, u t-tmiem tagħha. Għalhekk, b’immaġinazzjoni bla tmiem, tali karità tispira modi ġodda ta’ evanġelizzazzjoni u servizz lejn l-oħrajn, speċjalment il-fqar.” “Tenaċità,” it-tielet kelma fdata mill-Papa Franġisku għar-riflessjoni tal-Assemblea, “Ejjew nikkontemplaw ukoll din il-karatteristika tal-imħabba ta’ Alla Trinitarju li, biex iwettaq il-pjan tas salvazzjoni tiegħu, b’fedeltà kostanti bagħat il-qaddejja tiegħu matul l-istorja u, fil-milja taż-żmien, ta lilu nnifsu fi Kristu Ġesù. Il-missjoni divina ‘hija ħruġ bla heda għal kull raġel u mara, sabiex jistedinhom biex jiltaqgħu ma’ Alla u jidħlu fil-komunjoni miegħu.”
L-indirizz sħiħ tal-Qdusija Tiegħu, il-Papa Franġisku huwa disponibbli fuq: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2024/may/documents/20240525-pom.html
L-Assemblea Ġenerali Annwali hija avveniment ċentrali matul is-sena, u din l-edizzjoni se tiffoka fuq it-tiġdid tasSoċjetajiet Pontifiċji Missjunarji. Ix-xogħol tal-Assemblea jissokta sal-31 ta’ Mejju.
