The word “missionary” usually suggests someone in a foreign land preaching the Gospel to people not familiar with Jesus and his teachings.
Pope Francis had many challenging reflections about mission in his World Mission Day message, describing for all of us what it means for a person to be “on mission”.
He quoted the words in Acts 1:8:
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
He said that “This is the central point, the heart of Jesus’ teachings to the disciples, in view of their being sent forth into the world. The disciples are to be witnesses of Jesus; thanks to the grace of the Holy Spirit they will receive. Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church…
“Each baptized person is called to mission, in the Church and by the mandate of the Church: consequently, mission is carried out together, not individually, in communion with the ecclesial community and not on one’s own initiative…
“In addition, the disciples are urged to live their personal lives in a missionary key: they are sent by Jesus to the world not only to carry out, but also and above all to be witnesses of Christ…
“In the final analysis, then, the true witness is the martyr, the one who gives his or her life for Christ, reciprocating the gift he has made to us of himself…
“Indeed, it is precisely when we feel tired, unmotivated, or confused that we should remember to have recourse to the Holy Spirit in prayer.”
Continuing, he said “Let me emphasize once again that prayer plays a fundamental role in the missionary life, for it allows us to be refreshed and strengthened by the Spirit as the inexhaustible divine source of renewed energy and joy in sharing Christ’s life with others.”
Amid these inspiring remarks, the Holy Father warned, “Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate themselves, to exhibit their persuasive qualities and abilities or their managerial skills. Instead, theirs is the supreme honor of presenting Christ in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Goods News of his salvation as the first apostles did, with joy and boldness.”
With all due respect, all this is far easier said than done!
We often stumble and bumble all through our lives, trying and failing, aspiring and forgetting, planning and not achieving, losing sight and getting off course, going so fast that we pass our destination, so afraid of offending others that we forget about offending God.
in other words, we’re behaving like the weak, limited, and imperfect creatures that we are, not witnessing to all the great and beautiful things we speak of, aspire to, and are commissioned to do!
The love and mercy of God is far greater than our worst imaginings, flaws, and sins. So, stop worrying and dare to do what you know is right and what is expected of you.
And, above all, don’t forget the clear and simple advice traditionally attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi:
“Preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words!”
22 October 2023