A SONG TO SING

Guest editorial

By Fr. Michael Traher, S.F.M.
January 2004

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Each of us is born with a song to sing. It flows from the deepest part of us, seeking oneness with our Creator. When we sing our song in harmony with the song of Jesus, we discover our true identity as children of God; we learn that all peoples share a common destiny as brothers and sisters in the family of God. Jesus' song promises that all who hear and welcome it will live fully and eternally in God's love.

A priest lives his whole life as a singer of God's song in the world. Scarboro priest missioners live our vocation in response to the human-divine singer, Jesus, in whose name we are sent to reveal the good news of God's passion for all peoples and for all of creation. As a servant-leader, a priest must learn to sing his song humbly, joyfully, with everything he has in his being, for this is the way Jesus sang in his life.

In this special vocations issue, we share with you some of the joys and challenges flowing from our life-changing experiences as priest missioners walking in other lands and cultures. Each story reveals a unique experience of God.

You will read of the vocation to the missionary priesthood as a call to be challenged and enchanted, to be vulnerable as well as a dreamer and a visionary. It is about becoming one with those who have a special place in God's heart-the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger. It is the delicate mixture of the sweet and the bitter as we walk among indigenous peoples struggling for their lands and way of life. It is about the need for an intimate relationship with Christ as the foundation and compass in our lives as priests.

The stories in this issue will tell of how God has shaped our lives as Scarboro missioners. We have experienced many surprises along the way, as we live our vocation to priesthood in other lands. There are times of vulnerability, of aloneness, of being the outsider, of entering into the unknown. Yet, you will read again and again of growing in trust in God, of abundant blessing, of miracle and wonder. We experience God's great love in our alone times, and in the friendship and love of the people who welcome us into their hearts and lives.

God truly works through our weaknesses. This God of our blessed pasts continues to surprise us, turning what we see as stark limitations into things we never thought possible. One who believed and taught this all his priestly life is the recently deceased Fr. Thomas McQuaid whose life we honour in this issue.

One of these surprises is our rapid growth and involvement as Scarboro priests and laity in interfaith dialogue. This has become a vital part of our missionary witness, and we share a bit of this journey with you in this issue.

Whether in a witness of interfaith dialogue, or of quiet presence and service in China, or of walking with peoples in the heart of Africa, all Scarboro missioners sing of the goodness of God. And we, in turn, hear and experience this goodness in the people among whom we live and serve. Such goodness inspires us to continual transformation and daily conversion into the heart of the One who sends us out to the "other."

Our stories are our songs. We hope that you will hear the harmony, as well as enjoy the variety of music. We invite you to come and see who we are at Scarboro Missions, to consider joining our song, to saying "Yes!" to the missionary priesthood. The world yearns to hear God's song in this new millennium. This call is worthy of a lifetime.

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