We must look for opportunities for discipleship in every circumstance of life

Pope Francis has called for a missionary transformation of the Church. He is calling all of us not to simply be disciples of Christ, but that we become “missionary” disciples.

What the Holy Father is pointing out is that we are all missionaries, whether we are clergy, religious or laity. An ordinary disciple suggests good people performing their religious duties and seeking holiness. This is wonderful, but a missionary disciple means that we are not simply disciples seeking holiness, but that call to holiness leads us to mission, to take the good news to others. 

Missionary discipleship picks us up off our chairs and says “go to your brothers and sisters, be active as God has been active in our midst through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit continues to be active among us.” 

At the end of every Mass the final word is “go,” which is a missionary word. Go to the ends of the earth, go to other parts of the city, go to the poor, go to the homeless, go to so many in need of Christ. 

How can we be missionary disciples in our ministries? 

One of the words that can hold us captive is “routine.” As an example, administering the beautiful sacrament of confirmation to our young people can seem routine to a bishop. The ceremonies are long and the bishop has to stand for pictures with every person being confirmed. But posing for the pictures is anything but routine; it is a moment for evangelization. Sometimes I encounter family members who may not be close to the church. Jesus is present in them. As bishop I must reach out to those people with patience and kindness. And so taking confirmation pictures unfolds for me as an opportunity to do ministry. 

Each priest too must see the opportunity for mission when administering the sacraments, whether at a funeral, while visiting someone in a hospital, when performing a wedding ceremony or in some other occasion where he may encounter people who are not close to the church. The priest can reach out to each person with a greeting, a kind word or by offering him or her friendship. These actions give us a missionary zeal, which is different from routinely celebrating sacraments or ceremonies. In these encounters–in the brief time that we have with them–we can welcome the chance to bring the Gospel to them.

The laity can be missionary disciples by feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, clothing the homeless, caring for the sick and visiting those in jail (Mt 25:35-36). Simply by walking up and talking to someone and introducing or reintroducing yourselves can bring Christ to those who need his love. 

In many areas of our diocese, even in the smallest towns, the church is present whether it is in people or a building. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus said, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also” (Mk 1:38). As Jesus went to the next village, those who stayed behind preached the Gospel. Those who are left behind many times are the laity; family members and the friends down the street who can do their part in being a friend in Christ.

The laity then must be there to support and to encourage people. They can encourage them to attend Mass. Sometimes people just need a friend. The laity, whether a person is family or not, can spread the word of God by their example, by a word but mainly by action. They can encourage people and they can try to enliven their faith again. 

Each one of us needs to be present to people in the town where we live. Pastors should also venture into the rural areas where the church may not always be present. We should be proactive in reaching out to people who have been given the seeds of faith so that those seeds grow. 

Part of my ministry as bishop is to encourage the faith in some of the smallest parts of our diocese. There are a few small communities that I have not visited since becoming bishop. Occasionally on Sundays I take the opportunity to visit these parishes and missions. I have been going to parishes where there may be 30 people at Mass. I want to let them know that they are a part of our diocese, that they are part of the Body of Christ. Hopefully through them and their pastors they can also reach their friends or family members who may be less active. 

The Holy Father is challenging us on all levels. He is asking us to look beyond just the four walls of our church. It is no longer a mentality of build it and they will come. There are many, many challenges that face people every day. We need to find more ways to reach out to them and to go where they are. 

The image that is perhaps most profound for all of us to keep in mind is that when God wanted to come to us he sent his Son who emptied himself of his divinity to become one of us. That very reality of the Incarnation is our reality. We are called to empty ourselves of our previously held notions of being a bishop, a priest, teacher, lawyer, doctor, etc. and get our hands dirty or as the Holy Father has said, we need to “be shepherds with the smell of sheep.” We need to “go” to them and not expect people to come to us.

This is the time for all of us to look for creative ways to reach out to those alienated from the faith for one reason or another and invite new people and keep them active in the church. The more that we go to people, the more they will find Christ. 

May Mary, the mother of all disciples, accompany us in our journey as missionary disciples.