It can be tempting to think that only foreign missionaries are called to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world.
We may think that it isn't our vocation to be holy or evangelize our friends and family.
Yet, the Church is constantly challenging us to be missionaries in our daily lives.
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
Pope Francis commented on this idea in his recent encyclical on the Sacred Heart, Dilexit nos:
Jesus is calling you and sending you forth to spread goodness in our world. His call is one of service, a summons to do good, perhaps as a physician, a mother, a teacher or a priest. Wherever you may be, you can hear his call and realize that he is sending you forth to carry out that mission. He himself told us, “I am sending you out” (Lk 10:3). It is part of our being friends with him.
He then pointed to the example of St. Therese of Lisieux for inspiration:
In your own way, you too must be a missionary, like the apostles and the first disciples of Jesus, who went forth to proclaim the love of God, to tell others that Christ is alive and worth knowing. St. Therese experienced this as an essential part of her oblation to merciful Love: “I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls.” That is your mission as well. Each of us must carry it out in his or her own way; you will come to see how you can be a missionary. Jesus deserves no less.
Our mission may not look like Mother Teresa's, as each of us has a unique vocation given to us by God.
We need to discern that call and take up the challenge to be missionaries. The good news is that Jesus will be there at our side:
If you accept the challenge, he will enlighten you, accompany you and strengthen you, and you will have an enriching experience that will bring you much happiness. It is not important whether you see immediate results; leave that to the Lord who works in the secret of our hearts. Keep experiencing the joy born of our efforts to share the love of Christ with others.
None of us is exempt from being missionaries. The key is in finding our mission and drawing our strength from the Sacred Heart.
