Exploring the Church’s mission through scripture

A spiritually enriching session titled Church on Mission in the Bible was presented by Msgr James Gnanapiragasam pic on October 12, at the Church of St Joseph, Sentul. The session was attended by participants from parishes within the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.

Oct 26, 2024


KUALA LUMPUR:
A spiritually enriching session titled Church on Mission in the Bible was presented by Msgr James Gnanapiragasam on October 12, at the Church of St Joseph, Sentul. The session was attended by participants from parishes within the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.

Msgr James began with an introduction to the notion of Mission and how the concept of Church on Mission can be traced throughout the Bible, emphasising the idea that the church is called to proclaim the Gospel and serve others in the world.

He emphasised the importance of attentive textual reading and highlighted key chapters in the Bible to understand how the entire Scripture presents the theme of mission. From Genesis to the Exile in the Old Testament, and from the Acts of the Apostles to Revelation in the New Testament, these passages illustrate the overarching message that the Church, as the new Israel, is called to be actively engaged in the world — sharing the Gospel and demonstrating God’s love through action. Msgr James also elaborated on how the Bible, as a whole, unfolds from a mission-oriented perspective.

On the theme of Communion and Mission Ecclesiology, Msgr James underscored the emphasis on mission as outlined in the Vatican II documents. He noted that “the task of evangelising all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church,” a mission made even more urgent by the challenges of today’s society (EN#14). Quoting German Bishop Walter Kasper, he added, “Gathering and sending forth are two poles that must not be separated,” reinforcing the Church’s dual responsibility to foster communion while actively engaging in mission.

Participants, in groups, discussed how the liturgies in their parishes reflect the Church as a communion of disciples and how their faith communities equip members to effectively carry out the Church’s mission in the world.

Abel, a participant from the Church of St Joseph, shared that the breakdown of the Bible, as explained during the session, was truly an eye-opener. He noted that when studying the Bible, it’s easy to miss the deep connections between the Old and New Testaments. The group discussions provided a valuable opportunity to explore how individual Catholics, with the support of their parish, can move towards becoming missionary disciples.

Ian Pereira, from the Cathedral of St John the Evangelist, expressed his appreciation for the talk on the Bible’s mission journey from the Old Testament to the New Testament. He particularly valued the call to become a community of disciples, emphasising not only the enrichment of individual spirituality but also the importance of evangelising.

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