"DISTINCT LIGHT"

The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, which the Church is celebrating, casts a distinct light on World Mission Sunday 2016 (October 16): it invites us to consider the missio ad gentes as a great, immense work of mercy, both spiritual and material... All are invited to "go out" as missionary disciples, each generously offering their talents, creativity, wisdom and experience in order to bring the message of God's tenderness and compassion to the entire human family...

"DEEP JOY"

When mercy encounters a person, it brings deep joy to the Father's heart; for from the beginning the Father has lovingly turned towards the most vulnerable, because His greatness and power are revealed precisely in His capacity to identify with the young, the marginalized and the oppressed ... He is a kind, caring and faithful God who is close to those in need, especially the poor; He involves Himself tenderly in human reality just as a father and mother do in the lives of their children...

LEARN TO LOVE

When we welcome and follow Jesus by means of the Gospel and sacraments, we can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, become merciful as our heavenly Father is merciful; we can learn to love as He loves us and make of our lives, a free gift, a sign of His goodness...

"LIVES BY THE MERCY OF CHRIST"

The Church ... is ... the community that lives by the mercy of Christ: she senses His gaze and feels He has chosen her with His merciful love. It is through this love that the Church discovers its mandate, lives it and makes it known to all peoples through a respectful dialogue with every culture and religious belief.

"GOD'S GIFT"

Faith is God's gift and not the result of proselytizing; rather it grows thanks to the faith and charity of evangelizers who witness to Christ.

"A LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS"

As they travel through the streets of the world, the disciples of Jesus need to have a love without limits, the same measure of love that our Lord has for all people. We proclaim the most beautiful and greatest gifts that he has given us: His life and His love.

A GIFT FOR ALL

All peoples and cultures have the right to receive the message of salvation which is God's gift to every person... Missionaries know from experience that the Gospel of forgiveness and mercy can bring joy and reconciliation, justice and peace.

LEARN FROM MARY

May Holy Mary, sublime icon of redeemed humanity, model of missionaries for the Church, teach all men, women and families, to foster and safeguard the living and mysterious presence of the Risen Lord in every place, He who renews personal relationships, cultures and peoples, and who fills all with joyful mercy.

(Source: Message for World Mission Day 2016, issued May 15, 2016, the Solemnity of Pentecost)