"DEEPER AWARENESS"

I turn ... to you ... to encourage in each one of you a deeper awareness of Christ's missionary mandate to "make disciples of all peoples" (Mt 28:19) in the footsteps of St. Paul.

"THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL"

The goal of the Church's mission is to illumine all peoples with the light of the Gospel as they journey through history towards God, so that in Him they may reach their full potential and fulfillment.

"A PRIMARY AND UNAVOIDABLE DUTY"

Proclamation of the Gospel must be for all of us, as it was for the Apostle Paul, a primary and unavoidable duty.

"TRANSFORM THE WORLD"

The Church wishes to transform the world through the proclamation of the Gospel of love, "that can always illuminate a world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living and working ... and in this way .... cause the light of God to enter into the world" (Deus Caritas Est, 39)

RENEWED COMMITMENT

The mission of the Church ... is to call all peoples to the salvation accomplished by God through His incarnate Son. It is therefore necessary to renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, which is a leaven of freedom and progress, brotherhood, unity and peace.

"EVER MORE URGENT"

I would "confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church" (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14), a duty and a mission which the widespread and profound changes in present- day society render ever more urgent. At stake is the eternal salvation of persons, the goal and fulfillment of human history and the universe.

PRAY TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

I ... ask all Catholics to pray to the Holy Spirit for an increase in the Church's passion for her mission to spread the Kingdom of God and to support missionaries and Christian communities involved in mission, in the front line, often in situations of hostility and persecution.

(Message for World Mission Sunday, 10/18/09, issued June 29, 2009)