Homily Links Prayer, Mission, and the Day of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

A homily addressed to people celebrating the day of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus presented the mission of praying and evangelizing as the day's theme.

The reflection said that the mission is born in the heart of Jesus. It described Jesus as the one who chooses, calls, and sends. It said that before any planning there is a calling, and before any activity there is a vocation. The disciple, it said, does not announce a personal idea but announces the person of Jesus Christ. It added that Jesus is the protagonist of evangelization and that he must be known through each person.

The homily said that Jesus does not first ask people to work, but to pray. It said that for the mission to happen, people must pray and have intimacy with the Lord. It stated that prayer precedes the mission and that the mission must be watered by prayer. It said that a person who does not pray risks working for himself, while a person who prays learns to work for God.

The text said that October is the month of missions and also the month of the rosary. It said that Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus was a missionary without leaving the convent. It said that if people leave their comfort, they can also bring the Word of God to many people. It said that the Gospel of Luke is deeply missionary and is linked to the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus.

The homily quoted Luke 10:1 to 12, saying that the Lord chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every city and place where he himself was to go. It said that the disciple is not sent as an armed warrior but as a lamb. It said that the disciple's strength is in trust, prayer, and perseverance. It called this the logic of the cross and said that the one who overcomes evil with good does so through prayer.

The reflection said that the mission will be entirely positive only if a person passes through life in prayer. It said that the mission must also lead to detachment, so that people can trust in the Providence of God. It ended by asking Saint Thérèse, patroness of missions, to intercede for each person in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.