Go, Therefore

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Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, Missionary, Martyr, 754 - Memorial

Today's Readings:
[ Acts 20:17-28; Ps 94:12-19; Mt 28:16-20 ]

Today the Church remembers Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, missionary to the German peoples, and martyr. His life was shaped by the call we hear in today's Gospel: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”. Boniface heard that command not as a suggestion but as a summons. He left the familiar comforts of England and carried the Gospel into places where Christ was scarcely known, ultimately giving his life in service to that mission.

In Acts, Paul gathers the elders of Ephesus and reminds them that the Holy Spirit has made them “overseers, to shepherd the church of God”. Paul knows that leadership in the Church is not about authority for its own sake. It is about loving care, sacrifice, vigilance, and service. Boniface embodied that calling. His ministry was not built on power but on faithfulness. He planted churches, encouraged communities, corrected abuses, and endured hardship because he loved the flock entrusted to him.

From a Franciscan perspective, Boniface's witness reminds us that mission begins with humility. Saint Francis did not seek to conquer the world but to bear joyful witness to Christ through a life of simplicity, peace, and love. Boniface's missionary work was most fruitful not because he was strong, but because he was willing to be sent. The Gospel advances whenever God's people say, “Here I am.”

The psalmist speaks honestly of anxiety and trouble: “When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul”. Mission is not always easy. Whether we are called to preach, teach, serve, encourage, or simply live faithfully among our neighbours, we will encounter challenges. Yet Christ's promise remains unchanged: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age”.

Today, may we hear that promise anew and find the courage to be faithful shepherds, humble witnesses, and joyful disciples wherever God has planted us.

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