A little over a year ago, I was asked to begin a “partners in mission” circle here at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica in Boston, MA. I was concerned that, perhaps, those members of the laity who were asked might feel “put upon” in some way. I was deeply concerned that no one feel pressured into something that they really did not want to do.
The question would naturally be asked: “What exactly does it mean to be a ‘partner in mission?’” The answer would have to be clear,though the fact is, there are many different ways of answering the question. However, as a starting point, to be a “partner in mission”means that, in a unique and personal way, you would become a member of the Redemptorist family, and, as such, would come to know the family history in a more personal way, beginning with our wonderful family of Saints and Blesseds who are praying for us all in heaven.
It would mean deepening one’s own spiritual life by coming to embrace the charism of the Congregation. Primarily, that would mean, an understanding that our God has given to all of humanity plentiful redemption in Jesus Christ and, in a unique way, we are called to bring this message of unconditional, merciful and redemptive love to all of God’s children, especially to the most abandoned – to those who are most in need.
We would begin by simply bringing the message of God’s love into the reality of our everyday lives. To be a “partner in mission” would mean that Redemptorist Spirituality would become foundational in one’s personal spiritual life. We would come to know the four “cornerstones” of Redemptorist Spirituality – the crib– the cross – the altar – and Mary.
How are we to understand these? They are the fundamental pillars that guide our journey of faith in this life. In the Incarnation of Jesus Christ – God has taken on our humanity and has become one with us; on the Cross – our God has entered into the reality of suffering and death and has conquered it in Christ Jesus for the sake of our redemption; in the gift of the Eucharist – Christ has given us His own body and blood upon the altar to be our food for the journey; and in giving us Our Blessed Mother, Mary – Christ has given us His own Mother to be our Mother so that we might never lose our way home – to Him. And all for the sake of love!
The Redemptorist Congregation was founded by one of the great lovers of Christ Jesus: Saint Alphonsus Liguori. His message was so simple, yet so profoundly unbelievable: “Our God is ‘in love’ with us…Our God is ‘pazzo’ – ‘crazy in love’ with us. It is a relationship of profoundly intimate and personal love between the Creator and the created one.”
From the very beginning, this was the message of Alphonsus, and,from the very beginning he reached out beyond his newly founded Congregation to bring this message of divine and intimate love to as many of God’s children as possible. He reached out to those around him who were listening for and waiting to hear a message of love. He reached out to them with the understanding that not only were they loved by God, but also, they too were called by God to make God’s love present and concrete in this world. He reached out to the children of God asking them to “partner with him” in making the love of Jesus Christ a reality for the many who so desperately needed to know this profound and beautiful truth of faith.
The message has not changed over the years. It has only, perhaps, grown more urgent. Our world continues to be the home of a broken humanity, and Christ continues to reach out to the beloved children of God to bring His healing touch where there are so many wounds, His radiant light where there is so much darkness, His abiding and intimate love where there is so much sorrow, fear, sadness, and all too often, despair. And the Redemptorists still look to “partner” with the faithful disciples of Christ among the laity – those faithful who bear within them the light of Christ and who desire to be a light in this world.
As Alphonsus did in his day and time, so we do in our day and time. We embrace our sisters and brothers of the laity – those faithful disciples of Christ who live in the reality of the everyday world and we join together – as partners in the mission of Christ – to accomplish, in our day and time and in our little place on this earth, the work of the Kingdom of God.
I was concerned that people might feel “put upon” or pressured to become a “partner.” I was very mistaken! Every person I asked to consider becoming a “partner in mission” was not only willing but was deeply grateful to have been asked and most anxious to begin. And I was deeply humbled by their sincere and faith-filled response.
One of the primary understandings in the endeavor of “partnering” for the sake of the mission was that we all might benefit from one another in the work of the Kingdom. In our initial meetings, it was already quite clear, I was the one who was benefiting most, for I was being uplifted by the profound spirituality of these faithful and humble disciples of Christ who were already living lives of deepest faith in this very complex and wounded world.
I am honored to be in their presence and to walk, together, this journey of faith that is our life. With my sisters and brothers in Christ, our “partners in mission,” I am learning to become a holier and humbler disciple of the Lord Jesus. And for this, I am eternally grateful.
By Fr. Anthony E. Michalik, C.Ss.R. (Courtesy of the Baltimore Beacon.)