Church of the Sacred Heart

DAY 9
Mission 
REFLECTION:
Congrats! You’ve made it to day nine of our meditations. However, this is far from the end. In fact, this is only the beginning. Pope Francis reminded the faithful of our call to mission in 2019 when he said, “I am a mission, always; you are a mission, always; every baptized man and woman is a mission... Each of us is a mission to the world, for each of us is the fruit of God’s love.” The rhythm of the Church has always been to gather and then to scatter. We come together as a Church every Sunday to be renewed and refreshed by the Eucharist. From there, we are called to spread the fragrance of Christ to all the world. These simple meditations have been building a foundation to empower you to bring all those who will listen to the Good News that “the Eucharist is God’s response to the deepest hunger of the human heart, the hunger for authentic life, for in the Eucharist Christ himself is truly in our midst, to nourish, console and sustain us on our journey” (Pope Francis). 
A modern-day model of mission flowing from the Eucharistic Lord is St. Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa went where most people would never want to go, serving the poorest of the poor, the sick and dying on the streets throughout the world. But she did not do this amazing and difficult work from her own power. No, Mother Teresa constantly renewed her capacity for the love of her neighbor through her encounter with the Eucharistic Lord, and she provides a heroic example of how that encounter acquired a realism through her deep love for others. She knew of the necessity of meeting Christ in the Eucharist through daily Mass as the source of her strength and charity.
Each of us is called out of infinite love to a unique mission. We have been given gifts, skills, and opportunities to be used to build up the kingdom of God. Sometimes it can be difficult to know how God is asking you to serve, but that does not mean you have no mission. Mission doesn’t necessitate going to a third-world country. For most of us, our mission can be found right where we are. If we have eyes to see, we will find a vast mission field full of opportunities within our own homes and communities. The fact that you have breath in your lungs is living proof that God still has a purpose for you. If you are unsure where God is asking you to fulfill your missionary calling, a simple place to start is by looking at what skills and traits you possess that you can use to assist others. Are you great at math? Perhaps you can be a tutor for the youth in your area. Do you love to cook? Maybe you can use your culinary skills at the local soup kitchen. Do you have a good grasp of Sacred Scripture? Could you use 
your knowledge to start a Bible study out of your living room? 
Make no mistake; mission isn’t always easy. But God gives us all we need for the task, and we can be renewed in grace every week—or even more often! The Eucharist nourishes and empowers our souls to be sent forth each week to bring Christ into the world. You cannot be a missionary if you do not partake in a mission. Jesus’ words were clear: “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. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). How you fulfill your call may be unique, but you aren’t alone. Jesus promised to be with us; the Eucharist proves that to be true. Do not be afraid. Even if you don’t have total confidence in yourself, believe that God can and will do great things through you. 

PRAYER: 
Lord, you have given everything to us. Today, we offer back to you every good gift we have received. We pray that you use our talents and abilities for your glory and the service of your Kingdom. Grant us eyes to see the needs of those around us and the courage to serve faithfully, so that through us, others may come to know, believe, and love you, all for your glory. Amen.

CHALLENGE: 
You’ve now completed this nine-day journey of prayer and reflection; it’s time to bring it to others. Find three people with whom you can share this experience, focusing on how you have encountered God through this prayer exercise. You can even invite those three people to partake in the nine-day prayer challenge, too!