“Let us be selfless in our giving for the missions”: Nigerian Catholic Bishop in Mission Sunday Message

He continues, “Pray as well that God may make you yourself a strong agent of his mission of salvation so that God will guide you on your way from earth to heaven.”

The member of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication since his appointment in December 2021 goes on to reflect on the Christian life as a pilgrimage, with every believer called to “come” to Christ and then “go” to share His love with others.

These two words, he says, “summarise the Gospels themselves. Jesus set the pattern in calling all his disciples, ‘Come follow me, Come and See, Come away and rest’. He called them himself or through others and eventually at the end of the gospel he asked them to go.”

Bishop Badejo urges the people of God to play an active role in the Church’s missionary efforts, saying, “If you know Jesus, then bring him to others by your personal effort, with your prayers, and with your money. We must all participate. We are all responsible.”

The Catholic Church leader further underscores the importance of the Mission Sunday collections, noting that all proceeds are sent to the Holy Father to support missionary work and evangelization across the globe. 

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“All Church collections today are sent entirely to the Pope for the missions and for evangelization. That is not easy anywhere, but it is a good example everywhere to show how important the work of mission is,” he says.

The Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, who doubles as the President of the Pan African Episcopal Committee for Social Communications (CEPACS), an entity of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) continues, “All the collection of today and more are sent to help others. So let us all give. Nothing is too little nothing is too much. According to Pope John Paul the Great, nobody is so rich that he needs nothing and nobody is so poor that he cannot give anything.”

Acknowledging the challenges many face during the tough economic times, Bishop Badejo says that this may seem like the “worst time” to ask for generosity, but he reminds believers that God remains the ultimate provider. 

“Is God not the provider of even the little we possess?” he poses.

He urges Catholics to follow the example of Mother Teresa, who said that the only kind of giving that truly benefits is the one that comes with sacrifice and “hurts.” 

Bishop Badejo further reflects on Jesus’ promise to those who give for the sake of the Gospel, describing the reward as “fanimorous,” a new English word derived from the Yoruba term fani mora, meaning “attractive” or “enticing.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.