Rome (Italy). On 6 January 2025, the Solemnity of the Epiphany, the manifestation of Jesus to all peoples, we celebrate the World Day of Missionary Childhood, today called World Mission Day of Children (WCMJ).
“Go and invite everyone to the Banquet!” is the theme of this year, a slogan that does not want to remain so, but rather encourages the little ones to go “to the crossroads” to invite those who remained outside, to proclaim to all the Gospel of joy.
The meaning of the Day of Prayer and Solidarity for children around the world is, “Children help children”, that is, young people celebrate this event thinking about their peers from other continents. The goal is always to encourage children to pray for their peers around the world, and to help those in need.
World Mission Youth Day is a celebration. It is important that as many families as possible are involved, in order to better understand the message of Pope Francis, with his reminder: “Go and invite everyone to the banquet!”. (cfr. Message for World Mission Day 2024)
Children can be the announcers, those who invite their family and friends to the Sunday celebration.
In the parable of the wedding guests (Mt 22:1-14), having seen that the wedding banquet was ready, but the guests were not worthy of it, the king sends servants to the crossroads a second time with orders to invite all those they find to the wedding. They do as they were commanded and call everyone they meet – “bad and good” – and so fill the dining room with guests.
The evangelist Matthew once again highlights that the Church is not only made up of saints, but people of all kinds. The mission of the Church and every baptized person, is therefore, to proclaim with their life the glad tidings, the “good news” that following Jesus, being His disciples, and working for Peace makes life beautiful, gives meaning to being His witnesses.
Given the concomitance with the Epiphany, the Pope allows individual parishes/dioceses to celebrate the Day on a date that best suits their own needs. This year, the Missio Ragazzi Secretariat (Fondazione Missio – CEI) has also created animation tools for the Day, in order to help educators and animators involve children and young people. Material for the WCPR2025
On the night of 24 December 2024, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door, thus beginning Jubilee 2025 “Pilgrims of hope”. A slogan that cannot go unnoticed by the missionary children. Missio Ragazzi proposes an activity to help children and pre-adolescents rediscover themselves as pilgrims of hope on the roads of the world; a way to open the closed doors of those who do not feel part of the feast. Module “Speciale Jubilee”
