杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

At the Angelus on Sunday, 杏MAP导航 Francis focused once again on the idea of missionary discipleship, taking the day鈥檚 Gospel as his starting point. In the Gospel reading, Jesus, after calling the disciples individually by name, goes on to send them out ahead of Him 鈥渢wo-by-two.鈥� This, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渋s a kind of 鈥榠nternship鈥欌�� in anticipation of their mission following the Resurrection.

杏MAP导航 Francis said missionary discipleship, the missionary 鈥渟tyle,鈥� can be summarized in two points: 鈥渕ission鈥� has a centre; and it has a 鈥渇ace.鈥�

The first point recalls that the centre of mission is the Person of Jesus Himself. When Jesus sends the Apostles on mission, they are not going forth to spread their own message, or to demonstrate their own abilities. Rather, like rays emanating from a centre, the disciples proclaim the message of Jesus, and to bring His presence and His work into the world. They are called to speak and act as His messengers.

This Gospel passage, he said, applies to us too 鈥� and not only to priests, but to all Christians, who are called 鈥渢o bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus in every aspect of life. For us, too, he added, this mission 鈥渋s only authentic鈥� when it is focused on Jesus. This is 鈥渢he mission of the Church, inseparably united to the Lord.鈥� No Christian proclaims the Gospel on their own initiative, 鈥渂ut only when sent by the Church, which has received her mandate from Christ Himself.鈥�

鈥淭he second characteristic of the missionary style,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said, is that the mission has 鈥渁 face,鈥� an aspect that it presents to the world. This 鈥渇ace鈥� consists in 鈥減overty of means.鈥� The disciples were ordered to 鈥渢ake nothing for the journey but a walking stick.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said this means Jesus wants His disciples to be free, depending only on 鈥渢he love of Him who sends them, strengthened only by His Word which they proclaim.鈥� Missionary disciples are not 鈥渁ll-powerful managers, or irreplaceable functionaries, or divas on tour.鈥�