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.

“Mission is a single but complex reality, and it develops in a variety of ways,” St. John Paul II writes.  The “first and irreplaceable form of mission” is the witness of a Christian life. This is followed by the proclamation of the Gospel, which is the “permanent priority of mission,” he says:

…This is the “Good News” which changes man and his history, and which all peoples have a right to hear. This proclamation is to be made within the context of the lives of the individuals and peoples who receive it. It is to be made with an attitude of love and esteem toward those who hear it, in language that is practical and adapted to the situation. In this proclamation the Spirit is at work and establishes a communion between the missionary and his hearers, a communion that is possible inasmuch as both enter into communion with God the Father through Christ.

The aim of this proclamation is conversion and Baptism, and the hope is that it will lead to the formation of Christian communities and churches. It must also be an inculturated proclamation, making “the Gospel incarnate in different cultures.” Finally, it must be a proclamation fueled by charity, bearing fruit from a life of holiness and rooted in love for the person who does not yet know Christ.

St. John Paul II sensed “a great springtime for Christianity,” one in which the number of people who lived in ignorance of their Redeemer becomes smaller and smaller. We are all “missionaries by baptism,” and if we allow ourselves to live in docility to the Spirit, then we can help this to happen through our own apostolic charity. We can help give life to others, and through this gift, we can give new life to the Church:

           

For missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others!

As we continue on our journeys this Advent, let us remember those who do not know that their Redeemer is coming. Let us remember those who live as though they are waiting, but do not know Who they are waiting for. Let us remember the Holy Spirit, who is always pouring the grace of mission out upon us.

St. John Paul II, Pray for Us!