The Mission Of The Redeemer

As displayed in our exhibit, Saint John Paul II was always on mission throughout his pontificate. 

As we await the Lord’s second coming this Advent, many people throughout the world are still waiting to be introduced to Him. Saint John Paul II addressed this very issue in his encyclical Redemptoris Missio, which celebrated its 24^th anniversary this past weekend. To preach the Gospel is the vocation of every man, and through this letter, the late Holy Father guided the faithful on how to live like him, as a people on mission.

“No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples,” wrote John Paul II, for it is Christ who reveals God to us and reveals man to himself. The Church must always be on mission, because:

…true liberation consists in opening oneself to the love of Christ. In him, and only in him, are we set free from all alienation and doubt, from slavery to the power of sin and death. Christ is truly “our peace” (Eph 2:14); “the love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14), giving meaning and joy to our life.

…Newness of life in him is the "Good News" for men and women of every age: all are called to it and destined for it. Indeed, all people are searching for it, albeit at times in a confused way, and have a right to know the value of this gift and to approach it freely.

All people are made to be a part of the Kingdom of God, and as Christians we are called to respond to the missionary grace that the Father bestows upon each and every one of us. Relying upon the Holy Spirit, “the principal agent of mission,” we are each called to evangelize in our own unique ways, witnessing to the Gospel with our lives and preaching it to those who have never heard it and to those who need to hear it again.

A New Missionary Age

Today, as never before, the Church

has the opportunity of bringing the Gospel,

by witness and word, to all people and

nations. I see the dawning of a new

missionary age, which will become a radiant

day bearing an abundant harvest,

if all Christians, and missionaries and

young churches in particular, respond with

generosity and holiness to the calls and

challenges of our time.

-Blessed John Paul II

December 7, 1990

The Harvest is Abundant but the Laborers are Few

Today is the feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, so it is quite appropriate that we read from the Gospel of Luke at Mass today. As you meditate on the reading below, reflect on how God is calling you, personally, to be a missionary.

The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'"(Lk 10:1-9)

Praying with Pope Benedict XVI for Our Politicians and Our Churches

Pope Benedict XVI’s general intention for the month of September is “that politicians may always act with honesty, integrity, and love for the truth.” And his missionary intention is “that Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priests, and lay people, along with concrete resources, to the poorest Churches.”

These prayers will resonate with most Americans this month. With the upcoming presidential election, many in the United States are pushing for greater honesty and civility in politics. And the damages left by natural disasters like Hurricane Isaac have left churches and their members without the resources they need.

We can do our part by sharing what we have and reminding politicians of the civility their citizens are looking for. But most importantly, we should pray with Pope Benedict XVI this month. For Jesus said, “whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive” (Matt 21:22).

We Want You - to be a missionary in America

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius is very well-known—his legacy provided renewal for the Church when She was in need and it still lives on in many ways today. His conversion, his Spiritual Exercises, and of course, the Society of Jesus are precious gifts that we remember him for.

Among his many accomplishments is the part St. Ignatius played in the conversion of St. Francis Xavier. The two were roommates while studying at the University of Paris, and during that time St. Ignatius’ example had a life-changing impact on St. Francis’ life.

St. Ignatius was on the path to fame and glory as a soldier when he experienced a radical conversion. Injured in battle, he spent his recovery time reading about Christ and the lives of the Saints. He was touched by these stories, and as he healed, he committed to a new life for God and for others. After a period of quiet prayer and pilgrimage, St. Ignatius began his priestly studies at an older age than most. The timing was perfect, though, because he met the first Jesuits: his fellow students who learned from his radical decision to abandon everything to the will of God.

St. Francis Xavier was slow to come around. He was a devout man, but he already had a very specific idea of how he wanted to serve the Kingdom of God. For six years he resisted his roommate’s influence, because giving in would mean giving up the life he wanted—to be a Church scholar. St. Ignatius still kept a close relationship with St. Francis, and eventually his witness to the Truth and abandonment led to St. Francis’ conversion. St. Francis opened his heart to God’s will, and as a member of the Society of Jesus, he set off on Far East missions, bringing Christ to pagan territories that were desperately in need of His light.

Serving with Truth

The Pope’s missionary intention for July is that “Christian volunteers in mission territories may witness to the love of Christ.”

The United Nations declared 2001 the International Year of Volunteers, and on this occasion Blessed John Paul II expressed his gratitude for all of those who dedicate their lives to the poor. He said:

Thanks to the many forms of solidarity and of service that they promote and make concrete, volunteer workers make society more attentive to the dignity of the human person and his/her many expectations.

… Dear Brothers and Sisters, who make up this "army" of peace spread over the face of the earth, you are a sign of hope for our times. Wherever situations of hardship and suffering appear, make bear fruit the hidden resources of dedication, goodness and heroism in the heart of the human person.

Making myself the spokesman for the poor everywhere, I want to say "thank you' for your steadfast dedication.

In his message, the late Pope explained why it is that volunteers dedicate their lives to others. It is “the innate movement of the heart,” he said, “that inspires every human being to help his fellow man.” Have you ever felt that rush of joy after helping someone in need? Well that is natural, John Paul II said, because it is in giving that we reach perfect fulfillment.

That “good feeling” is not why we serve, though. We serve because Jesus did when He walked the earth, and we serve because God calls us to do the same. We serve because the fruits of our charity bring justice and peace to mankind, and we serve because every human person deserves to be loved. We serve because our charity is a form of evangelization, introducing others to Christ.

Happy Feast of the Visitation!

"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord" (Lk 1:45).

With this greeting, the elderly Elizabeth exalts her young kinswoman Mary, who has come, humble and modest, to help her. Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, the mother of the Baptist is the first in the history of the Church to begin to proclaim the marvels that God has brought about in the girl from Nazareth, and sees fully realized in Mary the bliss of faith, because she has believed there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.

At the close of the Marian month, in this splendid Roman evening, at this place which reminds us of the Lourdes grotto, we must reflect, beloved Sisters and. Brothers, on what was the fundamental interior attitude of the Blessed Virgin with regard to God: her faith. Mary believed! She believed in the Lord's words, transmitted to her by the Angel Gabriel; at the Annunciation, her pure heart, already given entirely to God from her childhood, dilated in the generous and unconditional "Fiat" with which she agreed to become the Mother of the Messiah and Son of God. From that moment, taking her place more and more deeply in God's plan, she will let herself be led by the hand by mysterious Providence and for her whole life, rooted in faith, she will follow her Son spiritually, becoming his first and perfect "disciple" and carry-out in everyday life the requirements involved in following Jesus according to his own words: "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Lk 14:27).

Homily of Blessed John Paul II, May 31 1979 

Mary Our Mother, on this special feast of the Visitation, we join with Pope Benedict XVI in asking you to be a guide to missionaries throughout the world.