Our walking forth as missionaries starts from our walking back to the Father’s House

Rev.Fr.Malcolm P Fyfe (Founder: Indian Union)

Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”. Our culture is a fast food culture: our food has to be in within a few minutes; our needs have to be met immediately. Waiting is against human rights. Time spent in waiting is time wasted. Husbands and wives, children and parents, friends and relatives are all met in time-frame. They disconnect or get deleted when the time is up. Too much organizing and programmed functions have their effects in grim faces and pain in the neck. Preparing for an event, preparing for a project and preparing for an organization attract more studies and research compared to preparation for life and happiness.

The population of India is around 1,150,000,000 by July 2008. The vast majority of people are Hindus (more than 80 %), followed by Muslims (more than 13 %) and Christians (more than 2.3%) according to a survey taken in 2001. There is a lot of reservation in taking the message of Christ in Muslim territories. There are challenges in taking the good news to China. We are aware of the practical difficulties we encounter as missionaries in a foreign land where people follow some other religion. The missionaries brought the Holy Bible, baptizing hundreds and thousands of people at one time fearing for their lives. They had no time for personal fellowships with the ordinary people.

The forced conversion by the British Empire was very vehement. They say that in Goa (a State in India which used to be a Portuguese Colony), a State in India the Missionaries and other influences made sure that they demolished all the temples and built a church on the ruins of every one of them. Goa became a Vatican City in India. Beef and alcohol came into the culture of the Indian working class. The Brahmins called them ‘Parangis’ means a nomad or a hippy. Christianity existed in India, “according to the tradition”, from the time of the Apostles, (Bartholomew was in India according to some sources). A few years ago, India had 52% of the total educational institutions in India were managed or run by the Christians who are only 2% of the population.

The Church is missionary in nature. The Church teaches us that Jesus was a missionary and Jesus sends all of us as missionaries to the ends of the earth to announce the lessons of love to all people: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Often in our Church this sending is so abrupt and rushing like the commando and his troops: Let’s go, go go go go... Some don’t even participate in this military activity. This military operation is aimed at killing all the enemies that we see before our eyes; shoot aimlessly in any direction wherever a tiny noise is coming. Church’s mission is so different from this understanding.

The missionary nature of the church is seen as a project to be completed or a given work to the missionary priests and religious. The two parables of building the tower and wanting to meet another king in battle reveal us that there is more to mission than hasty decisions and actions based on instincts and emotions.

What is mission? It is a God-given call to appreciate and share one’s religious experience and insights first within one’s own community and tradition and then with people and communities of other cultural, social and religious traditions. Why? In doing so we attempt to fulfill the divine mandate given to the church that humanity reflect God’s own life as one people drawn together in love and respect. (Definition by Senior and Stuhlmuller).

All missionaries are called by God: the opening words of Jesus in today’s Gospel are ‘If anyone comes to me’. Missionaries are first and foremost people who make their journey towards God. The reasons to be the apostles and disciples of Jesus are to be with him and be sent out. It is a journey from darkness to life, from death to life, to slavery to freedom, from tears to joy and from profanity to holiness in a personal level. Since the Church is the universal sacrament of salvation, we all are called by God. Personal knowledge of God is essential in all our missionary activities. Missionary life of the Church has its origin in God. We learn from the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit since they teach us the importance of being a missionary. Father heard the cry of the people and came down; Jesus was sent by the Father as a missionary (Filiation), and Holy Spirit comes to us as a missionary (Spiration) from the heart of the Father.

All missionaries are teachers in nature since we share the knowledge and wisdom of God. We are sent in the name of God. Our words and actions represent the One who sent us: we represent God in all that we do and say. St. Francis of Assisi tells his friends, “Preach the good news, if necessary with words.” As teacher of the wisdom of God we use different methods in our God-sharing. A mediocre teacher tells; a good teacher explains; a superior teacher demonstrates and a great teacher inspires. (William Arthur Ward). Missionaries are sent by God to inspire people to love God and neighbor.
Missionary Lessons from the two parables:
1. Building a tower is our free choice. Setting out to meet another king in battle is our free choice. God gave the whole Eden Garden to Adam. Obeying God’s will is our free choice.
2. Our setting forth depends heavily on our self-knowledge and worth. The rich man must have knowledge about his own resources. The king must have knowledge about his army.
3. Once the choice is made, there is no looking back. In Lk 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
4. Calculating the cost depends on the depth of our hope, faith and love for God.
5. The accomplishments in life bring a great sense of satisfaction and transformation. Every rich man wants to build a tower – that is his dream. Every king wants to expand his territory – that is his dream. Every Christian wants to share the love of God. St. Paul says, “I have competed my race, I have fought a good fight.” (2 Tim 4:7).
6. Our incompletion brings in ridicule from people of our faith and our relationship with God. We give up God’s work for selfish reasons or running away from God (Prophet Jonah)
Our missionary activities are not centered on mere work or time consuming enterprises rather they are channels of grace that brings both the person with the mission and the person to whom the mission is address a lasting effect. We as Christians influence others constantly since we are graced constantly by a missionary God.

Our God is a missionary God. Our God brings Good News to the lost sheep; likewise He is all set to reach our hearts through love. The ninety nine sheep were left all alone to support one another with the same mission of the Good Shepherd. As our missionary activities seem difficult and impossible, causing us great pain, despair and confusion, it is worth a wait that the Good Shepherd will come back to us with the great news of bringing the lost sheep. God is with us: let us share the joy of the Good Shepherd. May God bless all our missionary efforts to bring unity, peace and harmony to our world! Amen.