Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A — 100th World Mission Sunday, 2026
Readings: Is. 45:1, 4–6; Ps. 96:1, 3–5, 7–10; 1 Thess. 1:1–5b; Matt. 22:15–21.
On 14 April 1926, Pope Pius XI approved the proposal to establish a special day of prayer and support for the Church’s missionary work throughout the world. Thus, the first World Mission Sunday was celebrated in October 1927. Today, as we celebrate its 100th anniversary, we give thanks to God for a century of prayers, sacrifices, generosity and missionary commitment that have helped bring the Gospel to countless communities across the world.
For this centenary, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme, “One in Christ, united in mission.” The message is simple but profound. We cannot effectively carry out Christ’s mission if we are not united in him and with one another. Mission is therefore not the private business of priests, religious men and women, or a few enthusiastic Catholics. Through Baptism, every one of us has a part to play in the Church’s mission of bringing the Gospel to the world.
In today’s first reading, God speaks of Cyrus, a pagan king whom he chooses as an instrument for the fulfilment of his purpose. This reminds us that God’s saving plan is greater than our boundaries and expectations. The mission of the Church is not just about promoting ourselves, our groups, our personalities or our interests. It is about making Christ known to all peoples. We must therefore ask ourselves: are we helping people encounter Christ, or are we sometimes making our personal differences and divisions more visible than the Gospel we proclaim?
St Paul, in the second reading, commends the Thessalonians for their work of faith, labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. These are the marks of a missionary community. Faith must produce action, love must demand sacrifice, and hope must sustain us when the work becomes difficult. We cannot proclaim the love of Christ convincingly while nurturing hatred, jealousy, bitterness and division among ourselves. Our unity is not merely for our own comfort; it is a witness through which others can come to believe in Christ.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells his opponents to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God. Friends, if the coin bears Caesar’s image, what bears God’s image? We do! Even Caesar himself belongs to God. We are created in God’s image and called to belong entirely to him. Our time, talents, resources and very lives must therefore become instruments for his glory. We cannot claim to belong to God and then behave as though his mission has nothing to do with us.
A few years ago, I visited one of the outstations at Uromi Diocese, located at a village called Eko-Oria, Edo State, Nigeria. Because of the rains and bad roads, we had to use bikes to get there. Though there were only three persons in the church, their disposition when they saw me brightened my sour mood. They pressed me to try to come more often. One of them desired infant baptism for his newborn baby. Once again, I renewed my commitment to keep going there as often as I could, despite the challenges.
That experience has stayed with me. Three people may seem insignificant when we count numbers, but each person matters to God. Those three people needed the ministry of the Church, and they reminded me that missionary work is not measured only by crowds, impressive structures or the popularity of a priest. Sometimes, it is simply about being present, celebrating the sacraments, proclaiming the Word and helping a small community remain connected to Christ.
I imagine that many of my brother priests and other missionaries working in more difficult terrains have similar experiences. Some travel long distances; others face insecurity, poor roads, inadequate resources and discouragement. Yet the mission continues because Christ must be made known. And those who work in such places must not be left to struggle alone. Our prayers, offerings and practical support are ways of sharing in their mission, even when we cannot physically go where they go.
But this centenary also challenges all of us. Are we united in Christ? Do our parishes, families and communities reflect the love we preach? Can we disagree without destroying one another? Can we support the work of evangelisation without insisting that everything must revolve around us? The Church cannot credibly preach reconciliation to a divided world if we refuse to be reconciled among ourselves.
One hundred years of World Mission Sunday is not merely a reason to celebrate the past. It is a call to renew our missionary commitment for the future. Every Catholic can contribute: through prayer, financial support, personal witness, works of charity and the courage to speak about Christ. As Pope Leo XIV reminds us, evangelisation is a work of love, and every gift, no matter how small, can become an act of missionary communion.
Dear friends, let us be one in Christ and united in mission. Let our faith move us to action, our love lead us to sacrifice, and our hope sustain us in difficult moments. The world still needs to hear the Gospel, and God is still calling each of us to play our part.
Let us Pray
Father in heaven, make us one in Christ, rooted in your love that unites and renews. Set our hearts on fire with your Word and move our feet to carry the Good News to all those we meet. Heal our divisions, strengthen missionaries working in difficult places, and teach us to support the spread of the Gospel through our prayers, generosity and daily witness. May our lives reveal your love to the world, until we are gathered into the eternal communion of your Kingdom. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Good morning, dear friends, and happy 100th World Mission Sunday!
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