St. Joseph Freinademetz (1852-1908 AD)
Feast Day: January 29
The Honor of the Missionary (from St. Joseph Freinademetz ‘s Handbook of Preachers “The Handbook of Preachers of Lunan Mission,” 1895)
At the beginning of his redemptive work, Jesus sent Peter and the other apostles to preach the Gospel. Like the apostles, you have inherited today the preaching of the Gospel. Those who fall into error are like sheep without a shepherd. It is your duty to lead the lost sheep to green pastures. In the turbulent sea of life, you are the navigators of the people. If a ship has no helmsman, it will drift without direction. You are the generals who lead the army to fight against the enemy. There is no morale in an army without a leader. Without sunlight, the world becomes dark and unclear. Flowers lack the moisture of rain and dew, and they wither and die. Likewise, if no one preaches the Gospel, no one can come closer to God.
If you are going to persevere and spread the faith effectively, you must, first of all, whole-heartedly venerate the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ time, those who heard Him preach were lacking in resoluteness and courage. However, when the Holy Spirit came and filled the hearts of the apostles and the faithful, they became fearless and went out to preach.
When the emperors and sages no longer flourished in China, the morality of the Chinese ancestors declined. Fortunately, people with good hearts still eagerly awaited the messengers who will lead them to the right path, preaching Jesus Christ just as the apostles did. Today, when you faithfully preach the Gospel to the people, you will fulfill their desire.