Daily Retreat 06/11/06

2006 Jun 11 SUN: THE HOLY TRINITY S

Dt 4: 32-34. 39-40/ Ps 32(33): 4-5. 6. 9. 18-19. 20. 22 (12b)/ Rom 8: 14-17/ Mt 28: 16-20

From today’s readings: "You must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other.... Blessed the people the Lord has chosen to be His own.... For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption.... Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Mission Statement

Sometimes one hears of parishes and other organizations that spend a lot of time to carefully craft a mission statement, intended to explain the reason for the organization’s existence. Now some of these mission statements are rather succinct and well-articulated, but others turn out to be pretty long and wordy.

 

But the problem with almost all of these mission statements is that they don’t take into account what "mission" means - it’s a derivative of the Latin word, "mitto" meaning "to send." There’s no mission unless there’s a sending! So, in other words, I can’t just sit down and decide what I want my life mission to be - my mission must come from a Source greater than myself, since I cannot send myself.

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Likewise, properly speaking, no parish or organization can send itself, so the mission statement must always come from a source greater than itself. The Apostles understood this well. In fact, the word "apostle" is a Greek word, meaning "one who is sent." So it’s no wonder that all four of the Gospels more or less end with a Christian mission statement, with our Lord sending His Apostles on their mission with instructions on how to carry that out.

 

The Gospel of Matthew has, perhaps, the clearest mission statement: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." For all of us Christians, this is our mission statement. The Apostles and their successors are entrusted with the earthly leadership of this divine mission, but ideally, every single Christian should hear those words of Christ with a deep patriotic stirring of the soul, and a burning desire and commitment to complete the mission faithfully!

 

"Go," for Christ has sent us, "and make disciples of all nations" - since Christians only account for about a quarter of the world’s population (and that’s including all nominal Christians), it’s clear that the Church’s mission is not yet accomplished. "Baptizing them" - for the waters of baptism are much more than just a symbol, since that sacrament effects a marvelous change in reality, washing away sin and incorporating one into the Body of Christ. "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," because every sacrament, every authentic act of the Church is done, not in our own name, not for our own glory, but in the Name of the Holy Trinity, the only true God, the Triune God - one God, in three Divine Persons. "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" - too many Christians forget that that’s part of their mission statement. Not just the most popular parts of the Bible, not just the most appealing divine commands - no, that’s not enough, because we Christians are commissioned to put into practice all the teachings of Christ and His Church!

Fr. Rory Pitstick
Our Lady of the Valley Parish
2511 N. Elmway
Okanogan WA 98840 USA
(509) 422-5049

"Illum oportet crescere, me autem minui." John 3:30

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