Missionary October 2024: Let’s Go, Invite Everyone to the Banquet

Originally Published on OMIWORLD.ORG

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By Fabio CIARDI, OMI

The Missionary Month begins with the celebration of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, proclaimed patroness of missions in 1927 thanks to the efforts of the Oblates, especially Monsignor Arsène TURQUETIL, OMI.

However, the true missionary journey began almost 2,000 years ago when the Holy Spirit descended upon Mary and the apostles at Pentecost, inspiring them to announce the Lord’s Resurrection. For us Oblates, this call became concrete over 200 years ago when St. Eugene de MAZENOD felt the mission to bring the Gospel to the poorest.

This year, Pope Francis has chosen the Gospel parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14) as the theme: “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find” (v. 9). Let’s reflect on this message as the Oblate Family:

Go

Even though the servants had already invited others and no one responded, the king urges them not to be discouraged and to keep going, even in the face of rejection and difficulties. Just as Jesus encouraged the apostles to “put out into deep water” after an unsuccessful fishing trip (Luke 5:4-7; John 21:5-7), we must trust in the One who sends us and fulfill our mission. Pope Francis urges us to be a Church that goes forth, initiating a new missionary movement as the Spirit calls us.

Invite

The invitation must always be respectful and kind, without imposition or proselytism, reflecting God’s love and compassion. It’s essential to approach people, listen to them, and understand their needs. As Oblates, we are called to be close to the people, attentive to their aspirations and values (Constitution 8). We must be present where life happens, in the “crossroads,” those places where people seek hope and meaning.

Everyone

The invitation is for everyone, “both good and bad” (Matthew 22:10), especially the marginalized and forgotten. In a divided world, the Gospel calls us to recognize one another as brothers and sisters, overcoming conflicts and differences. If there is any preference, it’s for those most in need, those whom society excludes. God’s love is unconditional: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son” (John 3:16).

To the Wedding Banquet

This banquet not only represents the final salvation in the Kingdom of God but also the fraternity and joy of being together. Our mission as Oblates is to reconcile, build community, and help everyone discover that we are children of the same Father. While the world offers “banquets” of consumerism, individualism, and selfishness, the Gospel invites us to the divine banquet of joy, justice, and brotherhood. The Eucharist is the foretaste of this heavenly feast, where we experience communion with God and with our brothers and sisters.

In this Missionary October, let’s renew our commitment to be missionaries who go out to meet everyone, loving without distinctions and witnessing with our lives to the great banquet of God’s love.