Living the call to be a missionary

By the Scarboro Lay Mission Office
October 2000

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Scarboro missionaries, priests and laity, are ‘sent’ by the Church from local parishes, to continue the mission of Jesus to the world. It is in these parish communities that our faith is developed and nurtured. Motivated by the loving presence of Christ in our lives, as witnessed in the life of our local Church, we as missionaries try to integrate our faith with the reality of the world, among other peoples and cultures. Grateful for our faith and the experience of God’s blessings in our lives, we are eager to celebrate this in mission.

Each person has God-given charisms, gifts and talents to be used humbly for furthering the Reign of God. Some of us are nurses, carpenters, teachers, counsellors, seamstresses, and animators of parish groups. Often we develop new skills.

As missionaries we must be open to truly accepting those we meet, with unconditional love and with sensitivity. We must learn to discover and be sensitive to God’s revelation in the religion, culture and history of the peoples we go to live among. We must be adaptable to cultural norms and social settings. We are obliged to live and witness a simple lifestyle of solidarity with the poor, accepting the challenges that come with this commitment.

If there is a similarity of lifestyle between the missionary and those with whom we serve, it is the willingness to enter into relationship which is equal, trusting, affirming and respectful. While offering our gifts and talents where we are asked, we experience Jesus in the loving, welcoming wisdom and friendship of the poor. We are blessed.

As missionaries, we feel the call and desire to use these gifts for the service of people of other lands and cultures. We endeavour to encounter those who receive us, with love, respect and an openness to our own ongoing conversion. We must be open to discovering and honouring Jesus manifest in the people of God. We try to walk humbly with and accompany those who suffer the effects of oppression and injustice and those who count the least.

Scarboro missionaries place an emphasis on team and community. This means we must be comfortable being part of a mission team which may include laity and priests, men and women, married and single. We share the responsibility to nourish the life and growth of each other and for the successful function of a Scarboro team.

As Scarboro missionary, Fr. Mike Traher once said, “We are called to live a lifestyle that is simple, faith-filled and joyful. We are invited to engage all our energies and talents for the Reign of God, always trusting in God to guide us.”Accepting a missionary call is an incredible and life-giving challenge. We invite you to come join us.

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