At the Heart of Mission

In his message for the web's "The Nine Gifts" this year, Cardinal Orlando Quevedo wrote  "Gratitude is our response, but gratitude is not meant to remain as a prayer of the heart. It is meant to be expressed in Mission, in sharing our gifts with others." Indeed, we ought to be Christians not just in name, but in action. The same prelate remarked on a separate occasion that despite the commercialization of Christmas, we have the Misa de Gallo and Belen which puts Christ in the center stage of the season.
The Belen, which has been a feature in our churches and homes these days, offer us ways to become missionaries. First of all, we have Mary who humbly gave her "yes" to be God's Mother (Lk 1:26-38), proclaimed the greatness of the Lord (Lk 1:46-56), and treasured in her heart what the shepherds told her (Lk 2:19). Second is Joseph, the just man (Mt 1:19). Though no words of his were recorded in Sacred Scripture, his life was devoted to fulfilling God's will. Third are the shepherds who, after visiting the Child Jesus, "spread the message they had received about Him" (Lk 2:18). Finally, the Magi who, after offering their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, "returned to their country by another route" (Mt 2:12).
Each character has become a missionary. What holds them together is the Christ Child. Christ was that " power of salvation" which endowed the rest of the Belen characters to share their gifts with others. Without Him, all the other characters would just be nothing. This holds true for us, the new characters of the Belen of today. Without Christ in the heart of any missionary, any endeavor will be fruitless,  for "apart from Me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).
As we celebrate the Lord's Birth, may we rediscover the centrality of Jesus in our lives. May our encounter with Him - through prayer, the sacraments, the "signs of the times", and our service in the community of believers - endow us with His Spirit that we may also share whatever gift we have with others, especially those who still do not know Christ.
A Blessed Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy New Year!

Baptized and Sent

Pope Francis designated October 2019 as the Extraordinary Missionary Month with the theme: "Baptized and Sent". Through Baptism, God has claimed us as His own children. The life we have as baptized is best described by St Paul when he wrote: "I no longer live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20).

If Christ lives in us, we ought to share Him with others, especially those who still do not know Him as well as those who reject Him. Sharing Jesus and His Good News is not only the responsibility of the clergy! If we look at our own families, the first missionaries we encountered were our elders - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. For sure, we would have been taught about the faith by our elders through their words or deeds. We would have learned our first prayers, thanks to our elders.

The Holy Father has often described the Church as "a field hospital" or one that "ventures forth". Through those adjectives, he is insisting that God's People ought to be missionary and not an archive. God's People, having gathered to receive Jesus in Word and Sacrament during Mass, should "[g]o and announce the Gospel of the Lord" (Words of Dismissal, Order of Mass). 

Whatever walk in life we tread, we have a part to contribute in announcing that Gospel. We may not have the gift of gab, but perhaps we have the concern or willingness to help out. Remember, most of the apostles were uneducated men and yet because of their willingness, Jesus chose them for missionary work.

Whatever gift we have, let us use it as Jesus sends us to reach out to others. We may not necessarily go to far-flung areas; the family, neighborhood, or parish we belong to may be our only missionary area. Still, let us go forth. The Gospel on the previous weekend (Luke 16:19-31) is a wake up call for us. God, in adopting us as His children, has endowed us with gifts and opportunities. Let us not waste those gifts, let us not miss those opportunities.  May the Father, "[h]elp us make it possible for all peoples to experience the saving love and mercy of Jesus Christ" (Prayer by Pope Francis for the Extraordinary Missionary Month).