“THE PILGRIM CHURCH IS MISSIONARY BY HER VERY NATURE”
Decree on the Missionary Activity of the church
“AD Gentes” Vatican Council II
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to earth as a man and as a man, accepted the Mission of the Father to spread the Love of God (which is another name for the Gospel) to all the peoples of the earth. This mission of Jesus, He then entrusted to all of His disciples with the command to bring the Gospel to all nations. So we continue to do this today by following the example of Jesus, spreading the Gospel by word of mouth as well as by the way we live because the Mission of Jesus is still the Mission of all Catholics. And to promote it is the reason why the Texas Mission Council (TMC) exists.
The responsibility of the Texas Mission Council in today’s world is to help Baptized Catholics understand how to live their own mission vocation which is the same mission that Jesus received from God the Father. While many of the priorities of this world have changed and will continue to change, the message of the Gospel can never change and it is our responsibility to adapt the Gospel to today’s conditions and continue to spread it.
To help us understand how to accomplish our mission, the Church named two patron saints as models for the missionary vocation of all baptized Catholics.
- St Therese of Lisieux, who is better known as the Little Flower, represents the vocation of home missioners who are Catholics that stay at home but actively support the missions by their prayers and sacrifices.
- St Francis Xavier who represents missioners who leave home to bring the Gospel to other places, some by as much as a lifetime in foreign lands, others by as little as a short term immersion trips into another culture.
Both of these saints are models helping us understand our missionary vocation.
Vatican Council II reminds us that we become the Catholic Church only as long as we are missioners spreading Jesus’ Gospel. In remembering this, the TMC will begin its missionary education work for the year 2011 in two ways.
First, by identifying new ways to help pastors, teachers, parents, catequists, DREs, and all who have the responsibility of educating youth and adults to the duty of promoting mission education and provide them with educational materials, vocational opportunities, and immersion visits.
Second, to develop programs and teaching materials that appeal to our youth. TMC wishes to do this with the help and advice of young persons who have a desire to promote mission in the circumstances of today’s world. In fact the TMC annual conference in 2011 will be dedicated to reaching youth as well as adults to bring them into the world of missions so that they will understand their vocation as missioners to spread the Gospel.
One of the principle supports of TMC is Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Missionary Society of America. Maryknoll offers Books (Orbis Books) and Educational Resources including Videos, DVDs, Posters and more to prepare today’s Catholic for Mission in a Multi-Cultural world. (WWW.Maryknoll.org)
The TMC 2011 Annual Conference
TRINITY HOTEL IN FORT WORTH, Texas
February 25-27, 2011.
The theme for 2011 TMC Conference will be:
“YOUTH IN MISSION”
Further information on the TMC annual conference will be available soon on the TMC Web Site
Further question can be answered by contacting:
Maria Kaesberg (TMC Secretary)
Maria.k2kmission@gmail.com
Or call: 361-205-8045
MARYKNOLL MISSION TALES
It was early on my first day in Irian, Jaya. I was trying to get settled in my new home when an old Asmat fellow walked in without knocking and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs.
My previous experience in Indonesia taught me to never go straight to the point with people. We talked for a long time but when the old gentleman gave me no clues as to why he had come, I went back to my work figuring that he would catch on and disappear. He didn’t.
I felt uncomfortable having him sitting there, so I came back and blurted out, “Is there something you want?
“No”, he answered as he slowly stretched himself out on the short couch.
Mildly irritated, I said, “Hey, look, if you don’t want anything, why are you here?
This ex-headhunter, who was to become one of my dearest friends and mentors, looked puzzled and replied simply, “Because you are alone”
Fr. Vincent Cole - Maryknoll
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