THE MISSION-DRIVEN PARISH AND DIOCESESpirituality and Practice – the How of Mission

THE SPIRITUALITY OF MISSION Pre-Vatican II’s perception of

mission spirituality was that grace flowed from God through the missionary to the people

Vatican II recovered the understand that God’s grace has been and continues to be present in the world, in people of other churches and denominations, in other religions, and in other cultures.

In the context of mission there is a multidirectional movement of grace through and from the people to the missionary, and among the people themselves.

DIALOGUE: DISCOVERING HOW THE REIGN OF GOD IS

PRESENT

Christians are to have a deep concern for the salvation of others and a profound respect for the ways they have already searched for and experienced God.

The church not only gives of itself in service to the world and to the people of the world’s cultures but learns from its involvement and expands its imagination of the depths of God’s unfathomable riches.

Dialogue is the normal and necessary manner of every form of Christian mission. Any sense of mission not permeated by such a dialogical spirit would go against the

demands of true humanity and against the teachings of the Gospel.

PROPHETIC DIALOGUE: DISCERNING THE ALREADY AND

THE NOT YET

Mission needs to be prophetic in speaking out against that which puts and keeps the poor in that state, in pointing out those aspects of culture that are contrary to the reign of God, and in maintaining that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

The spirituality and practice of mission go hand in hand. We need to develop a spiritual attentiveness and a discerning spirit for

acknowledging and affirming God’s reign and the seeds of the word of God and for naming and uprooting those weeds that are contrary to the reign of God.

The spirituality and practice of mission is done in the context of a community, both a church community and social/cultural community.

The practice of this mission spirituality can be described as respectfully and humbly entering the “garden” or world of meaning of the “other”.

PRACTICE OF MISSION

In 1997 the US bishops issued a statement entitled Called to Global Solidarity: International Challenges for US Parishes.

This statement is founded upon the universal nature and social teaching of the church.

The role of the parish is to challenge and encourage every believer to greater global solidarity.

Solidarity implies seeing all people as brothers and sisters within God’s human family and being transformed in such a way that we act “on behalf of the one human family, calling us to help overcome the divisions of the world”.

For the church of the American continent solidarity is the source of a commitment to reciprocal solidarity and the sharing of the spiritual gifts and material goods with which God has blessed them.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Describe the link between spirituality and practice of mission.

What three things can you do in your home, parish, or diocese as your “next step” in mission?

DOWNLOAD WEBSITES

Schroeder’s book (8 chapters)

www.maryknollmissiontrips.org/training.htm

Other resources:

www.maryknollmissiontrips.org/stmission.htm