Paragraphs 19 through 24 explore “Your Mission In Christ.” Mission is an intriguing word. Also a concept that invites repeated exploration.
We think of mission in terms of what others go and do in far-off places. The peripheries, if you will. The motto, “Some go by giving; some give by going” resonated with me when I was young. Can’t we do both? And if we do both, what does that mean?
Mission has a broader meaning: it’s an action with a goal achieved by following a plan. There’s a notion of impulse, perhaps. And if “pulse” is part of the program, then there’s a heart to the matter.
19. A Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness, for “this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). Each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.
The Holy Father suggests each of us is indeed a mission. God has a plan, both for our own good, and as an agent of his to do for others. What does that mean? As one might suspect, the person of Jesus is part of this, and we’ll look into that tomorrow.
You can check the full document Gaudete et Exsultate on the Vatican website.
Catholic Sensibility 