The Missionary Decade 2024

May 8, 2024

On May 9, the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord, the Missionary Decade will begin in our Eparchy, which will last until May 19, the feast of Pentecost. We encourage our clergy and the faithful, from the Ascension to the Descending of the Holy Spirit, as a whole parish community to pray for the Lord to restore our life in God by the power and action of his Holy Spirit.

The Missionary Decade 2024

The Missionary Decade is a ten-day preparation for the celebration of Pentecost, a rethinking of the great gift of the Holy Spirit and the Church. Each day of the Missionary Decade is spent under a certain slogan.

In this way, the Missionary Decade helps believers step by step to rethink the most important truths of the Christian faith and encourages them to embody them anew in their own lives. So, for example, on the feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, we begin the Missionary Decadewith reflections on personal confirmation in faith, and on the Descending of the Holy Spirit, we invite everyone to think about how to be a bearer of the Holy Spirit at home, at work, and among friends.

Taking an active part in the spiritual activities of the Missionary Decade, we are called to rediscover and realise that our families (domestic churches) and parish communities are missionary in nature. Awareness of this stems from the gift of our Baptism, thanks to which all the faithful, by the power of this holy sacrament, undertook to believe, live, serve, and share the experience of their faith in Christ, to share not only with their relatives but also with all the neighbours in their places of stay. Therefore, the mission of our parish community is to accept Christ more deeply into our lives, to carry the Good News outside our community, and to support those who expand the boundaries of God’s Kingdom through missionary activity and chaplaincy.

The purpose of the Missionary Decade is:

The missionary spirit consists of the fact that the Christian himself deeply experiences:

If, due to certain circumstances in your parish, it is not possible to hold the Missionary Decade in the middle of the week or if you personally cannot take part in it, you can hold the Missionary Decade at home. In the family circle, time should be set aside every day (5 minutes) for joint prayerful reading of the “Guide to the Missionary Decade” (Gospel, reflections, quote-testimony, prayer) and discussion of missionary tasks. Another option: to spend the Missionary Decade in a prayer circle of several families, for example, with neighbours.

  1. The Missionary Decade. Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ — “Personal confirmation in faith”
  2. The Missionary Decade. First day — “A divine love that brings joy”
  3. The Missionary Decade. Day Two — “Holy Spirit — Comforter”
  4. The Missionary Decade. Third Day — “God is with us — we belong to God”
  5. The Missionary Decade. Day Four — “Branches that bear fruit”
  6. The Missionary Decade. Day Five — “Where to look for truth?”
  7. The Missionary Decade. Day Six — “Personal responsibility”
  8. The Missionary Decade. Day Seven — “Community of prayer and mercy”
  9. The Missionary Decade. Day Eight — “Christian family is a domestic Church”
  10. The Missionary Decade. Day Nine — “Tend my sheep”
  11. The Missionary Decade. Day Ten — Sunday of Pentecost — “Our mission: to carry the Holy Spirit to others”

Source: synod.ugcc.ua

See also