English 
On the occasion of World Missionary Day, which will be celebrated next October, Pope Francis invites the faithful around the world to rediscover the joy of the Gospel as a missionary force born of the gratuitousness of God’s love. In his message entitled “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (Mt 22:9), the Pontiff recalls the evangelical image of the banquet to underline how mission is not a burdensome duty, but a feast to which all are called, without exclusions. The Lord, in fact, sends us not out of compulsion, but out of love, so that every man and woman may know the beauty of the Gospel.
The Holy Father reiterates that missionary spirit is the essence of the Church and that every baptised person, wherever he or she may be, is called to be a missionary. In a world marked by wars, inequalities and spiritual poverty, the proclamation of the Good News is more urgent than ever. “Mission,” the Pope writes, “is not proselytism, but attraction to Christ through the witness of charity and mercy. For this reason, every Christian community is invited to live this Day not only with moments of prayer and fundraising for the Pontifical Missionary Works, but above all with concrete gestures of fraternity and openness.
World Mission Day represents a precious opportunity to renew the evangelising drive in parishes, religious communities and mission territories. Accepting the invitation of the Pope, our congregation will participate with local initiatives that unite formation, prayer and solidarity, in the awareness that the mission is born from hearts burning with faith and is realised in the simplicity of the encounter with the other. In this spirit, Pope Francis’ call resounds loudly: “We cannot be silent about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
