Download - A Journey of 9 Days of Discernment

8/10/2019 A Journey of 9 Days of Discernment

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Lets take a nine day journey of prayer.

These sharings reect the many ways that

Global Mission touches us all.

I invite you all to take a minute and check out

each days sharing.

Day 1. The whole Catholic world cele-

brates MISSION. We are all engaged in MIS-SION by virtue of our Bapsm in one way or

another. We each are infused with the grace

and authority to go beyond ourselves in big

and small ways to witness the person of Jesus

Christ, live His message and serve others near and far. The annual celebraon of Mission Sunday happens

on the third Sunday of October, this year being the 19th

. But we are engaged in Mission everyday. The

homily on that Sunday touched on the fact that we are all missionaries and invited us all to engagement

beyond our parish community as well as remembering in prayer those missionaries who are far from

home. There may be special lectures or other events that help us understand the greater call to Mission.

Many Catholic schools and Religious Educaon Classes have the children engage in projects that help them

become aware of children from other far away countries who share the same faith, but may not share the

same opportunies of educaon, good health and the like.

Although it is true that all bapzed are missionaries, what about those who belong to

missionary communies like the Xaverian Missionaries? What dierence is there

from the ordinary bapzed Catholic and the one who is part of a mission community

such as the Xaverians, and what do folks like me look for when inving young people

to join such a Mission Community? Lets take nine days and I will share a thought

each day which will lead to the answer to this queson and a prayer which will ready

us to the Live the Mission!

A Thought from the Founder, St. Guido Confor

My dear people, how can we obtain this grace? There is no doubt that God is ready to grant

it to all, He won it for all through the sufferings and the Blood of His only-begotten Son, and

He shall give all an abundant and gratuitous share in it; the condition for obtaining this

grace is that we ask for it in prayer.

Ordinarily, therefore, there is no salvation for the Christian without prayer; grace and prayer

are inseparable, writes the greatest Doctor of the Church. To deny the necessity of grace is

the same as denying the necessity of prayer. Show me a man who has no need of divine grace

and I shall grant you that he has no need of prayer. This is why the God of all kindness said:

Without me you can do nothing [John 15:5]; He also added: It is necessary to pray always

without ceasing -oportet semper orare et nunquam deficere [Luke 18:1]. Furthermore: Watch

and pray, ask, seek, insist, pray at all times and in all places [see Matt. 26:41; Luke 21:36].

Portion taken from Homily on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6, 1913


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Day 2. What difference is there from the or-

dinary baptized Catholic and the one who is part

of a mission community such as the Xaverians?

The difference is that we engage the grace of Mis-

sion that we received at Baptism under a particu-

lar charism of another faithful disciple. In the

case of the Xaverian Missionaries, that disciple is

our founder, St. Guido Conforti, Bishop of Parma

Italy from 1906 to 1931.

But St. Guido was not

just the Bishop of the

local church of Parma,

Italy. His heart and con-

cern was global. Theglobal vision of his episcopal ministry was unique for his time,

but became a standard for Bishops since Vatican II. Some say

that he was a bishop without frontiers. One of his favorite admon-

itions to us is to foster the ability to have a spirit of living faith

which enables us to see God, to seek God, to love God in all.

Prayer of St. Guido Conforti for those discerning a life as a

Consecrated Religious Missionary

Oh Jesus,

You died for the salvation of all and founded the Church to continue

the work of redemption on earth.

Increase, we ask you, the number of those who preach the Gospel,Strengthen them in their ministry, sanctify their service,

so that those who have not yet received the gift of faith,

may soon come to know You and love You on earth, and

Enjoy You eternally in Heaven. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

AMEN!


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Day 3. What do folks like me look for when inviting youn

people to join a Mission Community such as the Xaverians?

I look for young people who share that same global vision

and zeal for witnessing the person of Jesus Christ beyond our

borders and cultures. St. Guido had a lively faith, on fire wita passion for Christ and a passion for humanity. We have a

banner at theGYMwhich says

Passion for ChristPassion for Humanity.

St Francis Xavier, the missionary that Bishop Conforti offered us as our model

and patron was very zealous. So, I am looking for zealous folks!!!!

O God, who through the

contemplaon of the Cross,

imprinted on the heart of St. Guido Ma-

ria Confor a burning love for the

proclamaon of the Gospel to all

naons,

Grant that, through his

intercession, we too may be lled by the

same love of Christ,

to constantly work for the salvaon of all

our brothers and sisters.

Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son,

who lives and reigns with You, in the uni-

ty of the Holy Spirit,

One God, for ever and ever. AMEN

www.xaviermissionaries.org

[email protected]


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Day 4. So, who am I looking for?

I look for young people with that same desire

to share that fire and passion for the Lord to

others, all others no matter the cultural back-

ground, country, religious persuasion, etc.Our Mission is rooted in the love we have for

Jesus Christ and our commitment to share this

new life that he offers us through his sacrifi-

cial passion, death and resurrection. That fire

and passion in faith needs to be real. It needs

to joyful. It needs to be simple.The person who founded our Xaverian Missionary Sisters of Mary,

American born Venerable Celestine Healy Bottego, describes for her

sisters what she understands when she is asked about her habit! Let

your charity be your habit! (from the

very beginning of their community, the

sisters chose to wear simple housedresses only) It cant get any simpler

than that!!! The Love of Christ Impels

us, St. Paul says in one of his letters.

Are you compelled to Love.. Com-

pelled to witness the personification of

love, Jesus Christ!!?


[email protected]


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So who am I looking for to join us in

Mission Ad Gentes (to the nations!)

I am looking for young people who can

trust the call that God invites us to respond to.

Unlike marriage, we do not choose the partner

in mission that are members of our communi-

ties both in the micro (our local communities) or

the macro (our international membership). We

each respond to the charism and the mission thatour communities hold as unique individuals but

the community has the Mission, thus we are chal-

lenged to meld diverse cultures, age, customs and

visions into communities of faith and service, be-

coming a powerful witness of Gods dream to

make of our world one family. We are challenge

to become strangers to what we once found famil-

iar and become familiar with what many still find

foreign and threatening. Ones personal story of

faith and mission becomes a communal story of

faith and mission. Be part of our story!


[email protected]

Day five


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Day six.

(four more days to on this prayer

journey!!!)

So, who am I looking for?

I am looking for young peoplewho can love love them-

selves, love the Lord, love the

other no matter if the other is

the stranger, the enemy, the

Muslim or Jain, or the many

that our societies and cultures

marginalize. We are called to

love and be love.Prayer composed by St. Guido Conforti asking for attentiveness to Fraternal Charity in our communities.

O Jesus, You urge our communities

To live by your teachings and witness to your Gospel.

We ask you to help us love one another in a spirit of mutual understanding,

acceptance and service, that others

may recognize your presence in our

midst

You who live and reign forever and

ever. AMEN.


[email protected]


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Day seven

Three , tatlong, tre, uku, drei, tribus, ,ba , ,tres more days

before this prayer is done!!!!

So, who am I really looking for

to join us in Mission Ministry!!!

I am looking for young people who are

exible with their religious thought bu

grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ

and our Church, free enough to know the

reality of God, but aware that God is bigger

than all our aempts to understand God,

thus being open to the various faith ex-

pressions of believers in God of whatever

name in order to dialogue and be with oth-

ers without fear.

Grant us, Lord,

That openness of sprit and wisdom of heart with which You en-

dowed Your servant, St. Guido Maria Confor.

Grant that You Church may be able to discern the signs of the mes and so re-

sist what is contrary to the Gospel upholding the acon of Your Spirit in thehearts of all Your peoples.

We ask you this prayer through the intercession of Guido Maria Confor, Your

faithful servant and through Christ our companion and Savior. AMEN


[email protected]


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Day EIGHT

Two more days !!!! So, what is that queson

again? who am I looking for to get involved in

Mission Ministry?

I look for young people

who have engaged in Mis-

sion through their youth

groups or campus ministries,

young people who have chosen to spend a week or

more among the poor in Appalachia, in the poorer

sections of our cities, in Haiti or beyond rather thanon a fun vacation in some exotic locale. They have

seen in brief the wonder of mission as solidarity with

those who have less in things, but more in joy, re-

ceived more than they had given in service to those

they met, understood the call to mission service that

finds its power not in money or opportunity but in

people and relationships.

O God, our Father,

You have given us in Christ Your living Word, Our

companion and model of service and mission.

Grant that your Holy Spirit may inspire us To listen

to the Gospel and act upon it, So that the whole

world may come to know You, And glorify Your

Name.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.m n


[email protected]


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Day NINE

This is it!! So, one last me! What is that queson

again? who am I looking for to get involved in Mission

Ministry? Really!!!

I look for young people who

appreciate roughing it, choosing a sim-

ple life style and shared goals and means

which enables a community of faith to be

formed and enjoyed. These young people

are not concerned about the ME but th

WE and their we include people of vari-

ous cultures, customs and countries.

Let me repeat the challenge. Ones per-

sonal story of faith, rooted in the baptis-

mal call and mission becomes a communa

story of faith and mission. Be part

of our story!

Our Father, Who art in Heav-

en, hallowed be Thy name;

Thy Kingdom come, Thywill

be done on earth as it is in

Heaven. Give us this day our

daily bread; and forgive us our

trespasses as we forgive those

who trespass against us; and

lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.


[email protected]
http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=12332http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=12332


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Gracious and merciful God, we pray that

through the Holy Spirit all may hear the call

to Mission and seek a deeper relationship

with your Son, Jesus Christ

We pray that Mission will renew the Church,

inspiring all to go forth and make disciples

of all nations and transform society

through the power of the Gospel.

We pray for all members of the Church that

we heed the words of Christ do not be

afraid and strengthened by the Holy Spirits

gift of courage, give witness to the Gospeland share our faith with others.

We pray that all people yearning to know

Christ and the Church may encounter him

through the faithful who witness to his love in

their lives

Loving God, our Father, strengthen us to become

witnesses to the saving grace of your Son, Jesus

Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you , in

the Unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever

and ever.

AMEN
