Manila Bulletin

Every Christian is missionary

- For inquiries, e-mail me at belsvd@gmail.com. By FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD

Ihappened in China a few years before the Communists expelled the missionari­es. A foreign missionary came upon an old woman by the wayside, deserted, cold, and hungry.

“Why do you bother about me?” the old lady whispered feebly when the priest tried to help her as best as he could. “Nobody else cares. Why should you?”

“God said to go out over the world and help everyone who is in need,” the priest went on. Pondering over the words of the priest, she said, “What a beautiful religion. Where did it come from? “

Whereupon the priest started to teach her about God who loves us and sent His own Son Jesus Christ to save us.

“Your Christ,” the old woman went on, “Where is He?” When the priest said He died two thousand years ago, she was amazed. “Do you mean to say that it has been two thousand years since Christ commanded his followers to spread his teachings? Why, where have you Christians been all this time?”

This might well be the pointed question addressed to us as we celebrate World Mission Sunday today. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus commanded His apostles: “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every nation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mk 16:15).

How can we be missionari­es? Obviously, not all can go out of their country to reach out to peoples who have not known Christ. If some heroic people can do it as missionari­es, fine. But for most of us, all that we can do is be missionari­es at home.

Remember St. Therese of the Child Jesus? She is the universal patroness of Catholic missions yet, ironically, she never stepped out of the four walls of her Carmelite cloister!

She merited the title because of her burning obsession to save souls by offering every little act, every bodily pain for the conversion of immortal souls.

When I was ordained priest in our missionary congregati­on, Society of the Divine Word (SVD), I applied to work in Mexico, Central America. Unfortunat­ely I never got my wish. The farthest I’ve gone to is Mexico... Pampanga!

That doesn’t mean, however, that I am not a genuine missionary. By my work in the media or supporting seminarian­s under the “Adopt A Seminarian” scholarshi­p program, I am a missionary. What counts is not geography, but the spirit or attitude.

Further, we can be missionari­es by means of financial assistance. Be generous and share your resources for the support of missionari­es.

Money is a necessity in the work of evangeliza­tion. Churches, schools, convents, clinics, social centers are needed in the “bush” mission.

ASK YOURSELF: Am I doing something for the missions as Christ commanded us to do? Am I aware of the numerous priests, nuns, lay brothers laboring worldwide in far-flung villages?

You are Christ’s missionary. Do your share. JOKE ONLY. A parish priest who was making an impassione­d appeal to the parish council for the annual mission collection. Great was everybody’s surprise when the wealthiest, but tight-fisted member of the council rose and offered to start the collection rolling with a contributi­on of 1500.

As he stood up to hand in the amount, a mild earthquake took place and some plaster from the ceiling fell and hit him on the head.

A bit shaken, he withdrew the amount and said, “I guess I’d better make that A small voice from the back was heard, “Hit him again, Lord.” (It’s not known if he added some more!).

SUPPORT SEMINARIAN­S. Chip in or sponsor a year’s scholarshi­p of a seminarian. REMEMBER: Without seminarian­s, we cannot have priests and missionari­es.

Where have you Christians been all this time?

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