As we approach the end of Mission Month for 2017, having celebrated World Mission Sunday on October 22, it’s a good time to reflect on what impact, if any, this worldwide focus on Mission has had on us.

The SVD AUS Province celebrated Mission Sunday with gusto in parishes and communities, with a joyful multicultural focus, which is so much at the heart of who we are as Divine Word Missionaries.

We were blessed to have the presence of the Superior General of the Divine Word Missionaries, Fr Heinz Kuluke, with us in Melbourne to celebrate World Mission Sunday, which gave a special significance to the day.

Fr Heinz will be visiting the various communities and ministries of our Province over the coming weeks, with his itinerary including Australia and New Zealand (he has previously visited Thailand).

For me, World Mission Sunday is a great time to reflect each year on what exactly mission is, and how we’re going in living and sharing it.
Of course, the first thing to remember is that it’s not our Mission, but Christ’s Mission. And Pope Francis reminds us in his Message for World Mission Day that mission is at the heart of the Christian faith.

“The Church is missionary by nature; otherwise, she would no longer be the Church of Christ, but one group among many others that soon end up serving their purpose and passing away,” he says.

The Pope says it’s important to ask ourselves certain questions about our Christian identity and our responsibility as believers in our troubled world.  "What is the basis of our mission? What is the heart of our mission? What are the essential approaches we need to take in carrying out our mission?”

They are good questions. And of course, the answer to all of them is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the heart of our mission. His great commission to go out to all the world and tell the Good News is the basis of our mission. And the essential approaches to carrying out our mission must all rest in spending time with Christ through Word, sacrament, and in sharing our lives with others.

As Divine Word Missionaries our essential approaches to carrying out our mission are called the Four Characteristic Dimensions. They are: The Bible, Mission, Communications and Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation. In focusing on these areas as we carry out our ministry, we are reminded that we are called to spend time with God in his Word; to actively seek ways to share God’s love with others, especially the marginalised; and to care for our community and our earth.

So, as Mission Month wraps up for 2017, I’m struck both by the responsibility we have to share in Christ’s mission here in this part of the world, but mostly, I’m overcome by the sheer joy of it. The Gospel is Good News! And every day, through our lives, through our ministry, through our lay partners in mission, our parish communities, and our networks, we are all invited to share in this Good News.

Happy Mission Month to all.

Yours in the Word,
Fr Henry Adler SVD,
Provincial.