Everyone is a missionary

by Editor · October 17, 2007

The Church is missionary by her very nature. As we observe World Mission Sunday, this statement a quote from Pope John Paul II’s 1990 encyclical Redemptoris missio should serve as a basis for reflection by all the People of God.

The Church calls all baptised Catholics to be part of the Royal Priesthood an office that, unlike holy orders, requires no ordination. By virtue of our baptism our ordination into the Catholic Church, so to speak we all are obliged to be missionaries.

The word missionary is commonly understood to refer to men and women, usually consecrated, who leave the lands of their birth to spread the Gospel to people who had not heard or accepted it.

They did so in many different ways: according to their talents, the needs of the mission territory, and the charism of the religious congregation they belonged to. Some conducted their ministry in mission stations, some in urban parishes, some in administration. Missionaries built up our Catholic school system.

Even today, the local Church benefits from such missionaries who continue to minister to the faithful, work for vocations, or give witness to God’s love in social action, such as assisting migrants or working in Aids care. Of course, some of our bishops are missionaries as well.

This is the traditional image of the missionary. The Church today, however, no longer defines the nature of the missionary in such narrow terms. Now every baptised person is called to be a missionary, and that ministry requires no migration, training or necessarily exhaustive effort. The scope of missionary work evangelisation begins at home.

Pope Benedict, in his elegant message for Mission Sunday this year, points out that much still remains to be done in order to respond to the missionary call which the Lord never tires of addressing to every one of the baptised.

The lay person’s missionary activities can take several forms. All Catholics are missionaries when they live a life that reflects the gospel values and gives open witness to their faith in word and deed. Some may spread God’s love through social engagement, for example by volunteering for charitable work; others may offer concentrated prayer for the mission activities of the Church. Evangelisation is a question of communication; some Catholics are missionaries by virtue of their involvement in the social communications apostolate. Indeed, selling The Southern Cross on Sundays is a form of traditional missionary work, as it brings the Christian message directly to people.

It is not good enough that the laity should let priests and religious bear the missionary burden by themselves, especially at a time of decreasing vocations. Furthering the mission of the Church must be a collective effort involving all the faithful.

This Sunday is an opportune time for all Catholics to reflect on what they can do, or do better, to further the mission of the Church, in keeping with the mandate issued by Our Lord.