In the homily for Mass at Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis said to proclaim Jesus is not to proselytize, but to bear witness to the faith. He explained that without testimony and prayer one cannot bring people closer to God.
POPE FRANCIS
I think about missions. 'What are you going to do on missions?' 'I will convert people' - 'But stop, you are not converting anyone! The Father will attract those hearts to recognize Jesus.' Going on a mission trip is witnessing to your faith; without testimony you will do nothing.
The pope explained that building hospitals and schools on mission trips is good, but if it is not defined by Christian witness, they will only be simple, charitable works.
SUMMARY OF POPE'S HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
Pope Francis said it is important for us to realize this principle as the basis for our own apostolic work of spreading the Gospel. “This is valid for our apostolate, for our apostolic mission as Christians”, he said. The work of conversion, the Pope continued, is not something we do. Only God can convert someone. Only the Father can draw someone to Jesus.
Our job, the Pope said, is to bear witness. In missionary work, it is not enough simply to teach or instruct people about the truths of the faith. In order to be a true proclamation, we must bear witness in our own lives, and allow the Father to draw people to Christ.
Prayer opens the Father’s heart. The Pope then asks what we can do “so that the Father will make it His business to draw people” to Jesus.
The answer he gives is simple: Prayer.
“Witness and prayer go together”, the Pope said. “Without witness and prayer you cannot do the work of apostolic preaching”. One’s preaching might be very beautiful, but without the Father's action, people will not be attracted to Christ.
The centre of our apostolate.Our witness opens the door to people’s hearts, leads them to welcome the message and the mystery of Jesus. Prayer then opens the Father's heart, so that He Himself will draw people to Jesus.
This applies not only in the missions but is the “great rule of our apostolate everywhere”, the Pope said. He warned, though, that being missionary does not mean proselytism: “Witness, yes, proselytism, no!”
Pope Francis concluded his homily saying, “Let us ask the Lord for the grace to live our work with witness and prayer, so that He, the Father, might draw people to Jesus.”
