Missio ‘ad gentes’

IN English, this Latin expression can be roughly translated as our mission toward all the people. This expression, by the way, is made by our bishops as the pastoral theme for year 2021 that culminates the preparation for and begins the celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in our country.

The expression ‘ad gentes’ comes from the words of Christ who told his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mk 16,15) The Second Vatican Council adopted this expression in one of its decrees that dealt on the missionary activity of the Church.

It behooves all Christian believers to be most aware of this intention of the Church to carry out this mandate of Christ before he ascended into heaven. Everyone needs to examine himself to see if this intention is given due attention.

Everyone, from the Pope to the last lay person, needs to feel as fully as possible the weight and the urgency of this duty to go forth to the whole world and proclaim the gospel, which is nothing less than presenting the living and redemptive Christ, the whole mystery of Christ to the whole world.

Being the pattern of our humanity and the redeemer of our damaged humanity, Christ is not meant only for a few people. He is not only for those who now call themselves as Christians. He is for everyone.

Thus, every Christian, if he is to be an authentic Christian, should feel the responsibility to be a missionary also in his own way. This is a duty that is incumbent on every Christian. It’s not optional.

This can only happen if he truly identifies himself with Christ as he should, having the same mind, spirit and mission of Christ, such that as Christ himself said, whoever sees and listens to a Christian believer also sees and listens to Christ himself and to the one who sent Christ to us. (cfr. Lk 10,16)

We definitely need to realize more deeply that our being Christians essentially involves our being missionaries also. For this, we need to realize that everything in our life can and should be a material, a reason, an occasion to carry out this missionary duty. There is actually nothing in our life that cannot be made use of to carry out this duty.

After 500 years of Christianity, we should realize that Christ is meant for everyone. While this duty to proclaim Christ has to start with oneself and then to our family and our close friends, relatives and colleagues at work, we should realize that we are meant to have a universal outlook in carrying out this missionary duty.

Yes, while each one more or less has a niche or a specific place in doing apostolate and mission work, we should see to it that we are not trapped in one part of the world. Just as nowadays there is a keen interest in globalizing some economic, social, political and even ideological concerns, there should also be a more driving interest in globalizing Christ, so to speak, making him known and loved by everyone.

This definitely will require tremendous effort and discipline. Obviously, we have to continually ask for the grace of God, because only with that grace can we aspire to fulfill this mandate from Christ. And then we have to study the different ways of how we can deal with everyone. And the Church offers guidelines for this.