Next year, 2012, the Pontifical Mission Societies or PMS will be celebrating its eightieth year of missionary presence in the Philippines. As such, it will be an opportune time to thank the good Lord for the years that PMS has closely collaborated with the Philippine Church, particularly in mission animation and cooperation.

But we cannot rest on our laurels, so to speak, for mission is dynamic and on- going and so also with the work of missionary animation and cooperation. In fact, in hindsight, we can still say that there is much to be done, specifically in promoting mission awareness among the People of God. It is for this reason that we are requesting the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines to declare 2012 as the “Year of the Pontifical Mission Societies.” We hope that whatever gains we have achieved through the years will be sustained so as to make PMS truly an integral part of the life of the Church in the Philippines.

 

As a tool we also hope that this Homily Guide will be a big help in intensifying awareness about mission, especially during the entire month of October. It is important that mission themes be given emphasis during Sunday homilies for the month allotted for mission reflection. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us: “World Mission Day itself is not an isolated moment in the course of the year, but rather a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on whether and how we respond to our missionary vocation.”

As we prepare for the eightieth anniversary of the PMS, we cannot thank enough the many people who have been a part of its history through the years. In particular, we would like to mention our contributors who generously shared their time and talent to make this little booklet a reality. Even with their busy schedules they promptly submitted their articles to provide us enough time to publish this booklet according to our timetable; thus, we sincerely give our appreciation and thanks to all of them.

May the good Lord continue to inspire and strengthen us so that we will continue to be passionate in doing the mission He has entrusted to all of us!

 

FATHER SOCRATES C. MESIONA, MSP PMS National Director