On a mission

In this column to remember the 45 years of NP, since we are in the missionary month, we have extracted an idea where one of the aspects of the mission is highlighted: the announcement. We refer back to Progetto December 1992 in which Father Mario Nascimbeni stimulates us to become a proclamation of love like Jesus.

«The service of the Word can take many forms. Jesus is the Servant of the Father, who poses as a servant to reveal and show us the love of the Father. Jesus serves the love of the Father to men. Here is an aspect of serving that we must also apply to ourselves: bringing, revealing, offering the love of God. Making ourselves servants like Jesus, He who gives the love of the Father to men.
We have received a message of love and we are called to serve this message of love to others. Jesus insisted with his followers on this attitude in every way: the life of the Christian must be completely turned upside down, because the Christian must not go after wealth, power, his own comfort, but must put himself at the service of others, make himself close to others.

The announcement of the word, the announcement of the Gospel is first and foremost allowing Christ to continue to serve his brothers, and to serve his brothers with the love of the Father, through us. The mission of the servant continues in the mystical body of Christ, that is, in the community of believers: the Church. We must allow Christ to continue, through us, through us, the work interrupted with his death, the proclamation of the name of God through service. And then we too, like him, with complete freedom, out of love, must place ourselves at the disposal of the Father, at the disposal of others, realizing that "love", "loving", are not feelings for the Christian, feeling emotion or pity. , but they mean to serve.

It therefore appears clear that the evangelical announcement of salvation, of God's will to enter the history of humanity and of every man and change it, I must first of all live it, make it become my story. Because, if our announcement did not shine through in the first place in our lives, our listener could conclude: "What do I do with what did not help you, with what did not change your existence? What gift is this?”.

Every time we celebrate the Eucharist, we remember the strength of love that in Jesus reached the point of supreme sacrifice, and we say that we believe in this love that can transform lives. But do we really let God enter into our lives, into our history and, through us, into the history of our brothers? Does hope shine through in our every action? Are we permeated with the joy that Jesus wanted to convey to us?

If for us life is gray, if we feel anguish and fear more than hope, if we too are disheartened like the disciples of Emmaus, then let us open our hearts to Jesus and let him repeat it to us again the great love that was revealed in his death and resurrection, which invites us not to be troubled, not to fear, but instead to be full of joy in waiting for him.

Then we will understand that we have received something great that we must let ferment, like yeast, in our lives. We must let the resurrection of the Lord ferment in our lives. Thus it will be our own life that will transmit to others the announcement of salvation that we have received and others will realize that in our life there is something that they can receive as a precious gift and in turn pass on.
If we do this, we will give our life, our every action, a wonderful meaning".


By the editorial staff
NP October 2023