The following reflection is written by Ronan Barry to mark Mission Sunday which takes place today.

In a modern world often characterised by exclusion and individualism, our lives lived as part of faith community is a powerful witness to a more real model of community and togetherness – rooted in Gospel values. ~Ronan Barry

As we come to grips with what our call to Mission can be in 2008; the prophetic challenge of mission needs to prepare our Church for what Pope John Paul II called “Globalization without marginalization, globalization in solidarity”. This can only happen if the people of God, the followers of Jesus go out with the message of love, compassion and solidarity with the people on the margins wherever they are. Mission Sunday gives us a chance to reflect on the Church’s mission worldwide, especially in the Young Churches. There the specific missionary challenges can be different from our own. Challenges may come from an oppressive government or from the poverty, disease, hunger of the people they serve. As Christians we are called to transform our faith into action, to move our belief into mission, to bring ourselves into the reality where our compassion can affect not only those in our community but those in our global faith community as well.