Today, May 7, 2017 we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. I am extremely grateful that this year the Holy Father emphasized the missionary calling in his annual message. In his message he wrote, "I would like to reflect on the missionary dimension of our Christian calling"
"In the depths of their heart, all missionary disciples hear this divine voice bidding them to 'go about,' as Jesus did, 'doing good and healing all'"
As we reflect on our own missionary calling we often find ourselves struggling with difficult questions. Pope Francis reminds us that we can find answers to these questions as we pray with and reflect on scripture. The three main points he reminds us:
Jesus is anointed by the Spirit and sent. This is also our mission: to be anointed by the Spirit, and to go out to our brothers and sisters in order to proclaim the word and to be for them a means of salvation.
Jesus is at our side every step of the way. A Christian does not bear the burden of mission alone, but realizes, even amid weariness and misunderstanding, that ‘Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 266).
Jesus makes the seed grow. God surpasses all our expectations and constantly surprises us by his generosity. He makes our efforts bear fruit beyond all human calculation.
With the Gospel as our foundation our prayer can guide us as we discern our own missionary calling and encourage others to recognize their call to be missioners as well.
"In the depths of their heart, all missionary disciples hear this divine voice bidding them to 'go about,' as Jesus did, 'doing good and healing all'"
As we reflect on our own missionary calling we often find ourselves struggling with difficult questions. Pope Francis reminds us that we can find answers to these questions as we pray with and reflect on scripture. The three main points he reminds us:
Jesus is anointed by the Spirit and sent. This is also our mission: to be anointed by the Spirit, and to go out to our brothers and sisters in order to proclaim the word and to be for them a means of salvation.
Jesus is at our side every step of the way. A Christian does not bear the burden of mission alone, but realizes, even amid weariness and misunderstanding, that ‘Jesus walks with him, speaks to him, breathes with him, works with him. He senses Jesus alive with him in the midst of the missionary enterprise’ (Evangelii Gaudium, 266).
Jesus makes the seed grow. God surpasses all our expectations and constantly surprises us by his generosity. He makes our efforts bear fruit beyond all human calculation.
With the Gospel as our foundation our prayer can guide us as we discern our own missionary calling and encourage others to recognize their call to be missioners as well.
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