One In Mission

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"THE POOR PERSON IS SOMEONE WHO IS TREATED AS A NON-PERSON, someone who is considered insignificant from an economic, political and cultural point of view. The poor count as statistics. THEY ARE NAMELESS. But even though the poor remain insignificant within society, THEY ARE NEVER INSIGNIFICANT BEFORE GOD."  Gustavo Gutierrez

“Missionary activity purpose: to serve man by revealing to him the love of God made manifest in Jesus Christ.” RM   We are called to missionary discipleship by our Baptism.   Missionary activity, then, is our purpose.  Our day to day life must witness our mission.

To witness our mission we must be what we profess to be...

ONE– We are all God’s family. We are made in God’s image. We come from different continents, nations and backgrounds but we are all one family. As one family, we must care for one another. We must go beyond ourselves to love one another and provide for those in need.

HOLY– We are called to model the life of Jesus, loving God and building a relationship with God. This relationship begins and is strengthened through prayer. Jesus often prayed alone and with others. He taught us the Our Father to show us how to pray. Jesus told us to ask God for what we need in his name.  Jesus showed us what it means to be holy.

CATHOLIC – Our Church is universal. It is open to all and was built to affect all peoples of the earth. The same Eucharist is celebrated and doctrine is believed in all Catholic Churches throughout the world. We all are sent to make Jesus known “to the ends of the earth.”

APOSTOLIC– Our mission is to bring Jesus to all we meet just as the apostles did. Being Apostolic means going beyond the borders in our lives and reaching out to those in need. It means preaching, loving, healing and surrendering to God’s will as Jesus did. It means being stewards of the earth and its people.

 “Charity goes beyond justice, because to love is to give, to offer what is ‘mine’ to the other; but it never lacks justice, which prompts us to give the other what is ‘his’ which is due him by reason of his being or acting." Pope Benedict XVI

Like Jesus, our lives must be our message and give “flesh” to truth, justice, peace, love, holiness and fidelity. To this end the Catholic Church has given us a basis to live through the

Catholic Social Teaching Themes:

• Life and Dignity of the Human Person
• Call to Family, Community, and Participation
• Rights and Responsibilities
• Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
• Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
• Solidarity
• Care for God’s Creation

Each theme should guide the day to day work we do and how we do it. keeping these themes in mind.  As we go about our day to day these themes guide us and give us the opportunity to actively participate in the mission of Jesus.