Jesus entrusts you with a specific mission
There is an amazing fact that each of us needs to ponder at length. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness, distress and despair and brought us into the kingdom of light, peace and joy—to our Father’s house. Jesus established one Church for us to experience being rescued here and now as He continues His mission to save us and to bring us home. This rescue mission is urgent because of personal sin, which binds us in the prison of bad habits and addiction. Jesus restores us back into the family of God, healing our wounds and strengthening us to live in freedom as sons and daughters of the eternal Father.
We know that we belong to the kingdom that Jesus instituted here on earth if we participate in the life of His family—the Church. This includes spending time speaking with, and listening to, Jesus in daily prayer to deepen our relationship with Him and keeps Him at the center of our lives. And of course, we must eat at the family table to be nourished. It is essential that we are present each weekend to be at the eucharistic table to receive Jesus Himself, to be strengthened to follow Him and to live as steadfast Christians amid the difficulties of life.
To expand the kingdom of God through rescuing others, Jesus brings life to every person who receives the Eucharist. This is His mission. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from Heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (Jn 6:51) Based on His words, we know that we are alive in Christ when we prepare our heart and reverently receive the holy Eucharist—Jesus Himself. Christ dwells within us, strengthening us to keep our eyes fixed on Him while growing in our ability to imitate Him: to think, act, forgive and love like Jesus.
Jesus Has Entrusted His Mission to Each of Us
It is crucial that we be part of Jesus’ mission to help rescue others, which is part of the incredible dignity of our baptismal call. As Jesus gives Himself totally to us in His self-giving love in the Eucharist, we in turn, must give ourselves to others in the same self-giving love. We do this by being humble witnesses of our relationship, with whom we are united in the holy Eucharist. This is how He ordained our participation in His mission.
Jesus has entrusted this mission to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Before His Ascension into heaven, He promised this power to the apostles, saying, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Ten days after the Ascension, at Pentecost, this promise was fulfilled as the Holy Spirit descended upon them, empowering them to preach boldly and bear witness to Christ. Today, that same power of the Holy Spirit is given to us—first in baptism and strengthened in the sacrament of confirmation—empowering us with “special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the Faith.” (CCC 1303)
Being empowered by the third Person of the Blessed Trinity means cooperating with the Holy Spirit’s grace, actively responding to God’s gifts and acting in accordance with His will. We must actively receive His grace—aligning our thoughts, words and actions with God’s plan. We must follow His commandments and repent when we fall short.
This cooperation is essential for our own spiritual growth and for helping others to encounter Jesus. In spending time in silence during prayer, especially after pondering a Scripture passage, we learn to recognize the Holy Spirit’s inner promptings as He guides us in knowing what actions to take, or not take, at the proper time.
Jesus Prepares Us for this Mission
The most loving way to serve others is by helping them to know and love God. One thing is sure: we are not expected to have all the answers to questions that arise from those we serve this way. As a foundation, it is helpful to know the “Good News” which Pope Francis summarizes as follows: “Jesus Christ loves you. He has given His life to save you and now He is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.” With this revelation in our hearts—revealed to us by the Holy Spirit—we are prepared for anything that might arise in a conversation. This revelation is distinctly different from information we might possess simply in our mind.
The Catholic Faith is passed on person to person, especially from parents to children, friend to friend, coworker to coworker and more. Through a gradual process of building trust and forming authentic friendships with those we meet in everyday life, we are called to help them encounter Jesus. We do this by sharing from the heart how our relationship with Christ has changed our lives and how we have been transformed through receiving the Jesus’ body and blood in the Eucharist. As Jesus arranges opportunities, we are enabled to walk alongside another, helping them to experience conversion by turning from sin and toward Christ.
When we are with others, we may feel a gentle “nudge” in our hearts from the Holy Spirit, stirring us to share something about God that is related to the conversation. In most instances, people will engage in the conversation, as many desire to speak about how God is moving in their lives. When conversing with others about Jesus, a beautiful bond of friendship is created that brings joy, peace and hope.
An easy way to help others encounter the Person of Jesus is to invite them to go to a presentation at the church, participate in a Bible study, attend Mass on Sunday or spend time in quiet adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. We should feel compelled to invite others because many new people, when asked why they have not attended an event like a parish Bible study or the OCIA process before, often respond with, “We have never been invited before.”
A Model to Follow
One particular Scripture passage illustrates this point. While in Samaria, Jesus encountered a woman at Jacob’s well and He asked her for a drink. The woman was surprised by Jesus’ request, as Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other. Jesus spoke of a different kind of water, calling it “living water” which, if drunk, would grant the person eternal life. Jesus then asked the woman to go and bring her husband back with her. When she replied that she did not have a husband, Jesus confirmed her statement by telling her that she had been married five times and was currently living with a man who was not her husband. The Samaritan woman believed that Jesus was a prophet and said to Him, “I know there is a Messiah coming. When He comes, He will tell us everything.” Jesus declared to her: “I who speak to you am He.” (Jn 4: 25-26)
The woman recognized the compassion in Jesus’ words as they penetrated her heart. Knowing that His words of truth delivered her from her past, she hastily left her water jar and left to tell everyone in town about Him. She then invited them to come and see for themselves. Even though the people had distanced themselves from this woman because of her lifestyle, her witness about Jesus and her changed life was so compelling that they believed her and everyone went to meet Him. “Many more came to faith…and accepted that Jesus is the Savior of the world.” (Jn 4:41-42)
We must also be convinced that a relationship with Christ and His Church is the greatest treasure in our lives, and desire to share that treasure with as many people as possible. Let us pray for the grace to follow the Samaritan woman’s example. When something exciting happens to us, whether great or seemingly insignificant, let us go and tell others about the goodness of God, inviting them to their own personal encounter with Him!
By Ann Lankford, Director of the Office for Catechesis and Evangelization