I SAY TO YOU, GET UP ! A CALL TO FULFIL OUR MISSION by Joan Foo Mahony

Smitten By Faith Issue # 00063 May 13th 2023

In his prayer intention for the month of May 2023, Pope Francis prayed that ecclesial communities, movements and groups, all of whom he regards as “gifts and treasures” in the Church may “…daily rediscover their evangelizing mission”. The Pope was reiterating the powerful messages he had made to the youth of the world at the various World Youth Days in 2019, 2020 and 2022. Now, he addresses not just the young but all of us as Christians participating in various group activities. He tells to wake up, arise, get up and go fulfil our mission !

Above : Pope Francis doing what he loves best - being with people. Here he is with the youth at World Youth Day ( top left and bottom left ); business leaders ( top right) and with the desperately poor refugees in Lesbos, Italy.

When we gather as groups of individuals for prayer, fellowship and activity, we gather as a spiritual ‘family’ within our Christian faith. We gather together, we listen, we share, we strengthen, we evangelise each other, we commit and we reach out to help all those in need - the Christian way. I shall describe here, some of these very active groups in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur which I know personally.

In Hong Kong, my husband Terry and I often attend the monthly meetings of a Catholic group called, ‘The Catholic Leaders Multi-Cultural Environment’ (CLME ), a multi-cultural extension of the French ‘Entrepreneurs et Dirigeants Chretiens’ ( EDC) founded in France in 1957. The members of CLME are of all nationalities, very busy business leaders and managers, all Catholics who believe that as leaders with a Christian perspective, we can use our positions, influence and innovation to improve the lives of others, always acting with a view to the common good - especially in the workplace.

Above : One of the evening meetings of the CLME in Hong Kong held at the annex of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. There are always lively presentations and discussions on how we, as leaders can improve the lives of others, especially in the workplace.

Above : A VERY SHORT Video of the Xtreme Pilgrimage 10th to 11th December 2022 held at the Sai Kung County Park, Hong Kong . To watch, you need to first DOUBLE-CLICK and then follow up with another CLICK again.

In the above video, I share with you a lovely gathering of a most exceptional Catholic group called the ‘Xtreme Pilgrimage’ in Hong Kong. The XTREME Pilgrimage is a family-oriented group activity which takes place every year ( since 2017 ) in Hong Kong for Catholic families ( grown ups and children) of various nationalities on a 2-Day hiking trip to a once abandoned chapel at the wild and beautiful Sai Kung Country Park with an overnight camping near the beach . The aim of this annual ( very popular ) group event is to draw the group closer to God as they encounter the splendours of nature at the park while participating in lively spiritual talks, contemplation, activities and entertaining games. There are now 70 to 100 participants each year and about 40 to 65 tents are pitched up on the beach. It’s a lovely sight to behold. Do take a look at the very short video above which gives you the highlights of how the Xtreme Pilgrims really do GET UP and GO !

In the Kuala Lumpur diocese, there are many Catholic ecclesial communities connected to each neighbourhood parish church known as Basic Ecclesial Community ( BEC ). You can see in the pictures here, some photos of just two out of the many BECs, the St. Mary BEC and the St. Jude BEC. Basic Ecclesial Communities consist of groups of families and individuals - lay people; the grassroots of the church. BECs present a pattern of Christian life which is less individualistic and less self-interested. The BECs take the initiative to support the poor and the disadvantaged in their neighbourhood communities. In his encyclical Redemptoris Missio ( ‘Mission of the Redeemer’) in 1990, Pope John Paul II says that BECs “…become a leaven of Christian life, care for the poor and commitment to the transformation of society… They are a cause for great hope for the life of the Church.”

Above : St. Mary BEC in Kuala Lumpur visiting the homeless and bringing them food and basic essentials.

Above : The St Jude BEC in Kuala Lumpur visiting the Lifeline Factory to reduce fabric from polluting our waterways as part of our care for God’s creations. They repurpose, reuse and upcycle cloth that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Diocesan parish BECs journeying together - sharing experiences and fellowship. See below.

Left : St. Jude BEC; Lenten Walk at the park in Kuala Lumpur ; reflecting during Lent.

Right : The ‘Compostela Walk’ in Kuala Lumpur where the many basic ecclesial groups of the Kuala Lumpur diocese gathered to walk together in harmony in the spirit of the Camino de Santiago ( the Way of St. James ).

Above : Members of Regnum Christi Hong Kong at Good Friday service in the vast tranquil gardens of the St. Paul de Chartres Retreat Centre in 2023 during the 3 day Sacred Triduum retreat.

REGNUM CHRISTI which means ‘Kingdom of God’ is a world-wide apostolate mission providing spiritual experiences through retreats, youth work, schools and universities. Its members strive for a more concrete Christian life and grow their faith by sharing it with others - to love, act and think like Christ as they help others and bring people to the Kingdom of God.

As Christians, we all try to follow the call of Jesus to be disciples of hope, actively participating in the life and mission of the Church and living in the spirit of the Gospel. As you can see from the Pope’s May prayers, he has lifted the bar further – he wants all of us to go out there now and fulfil our evangelizing mission. The Pope speaks with absolute clarity and urgency  :

“ I SAY TO YOU, GET UP.”

So, within all the various ‘groups’ to which we belong or at the very least support, how can we at a personal and professional level fulfil our evangelization mission ?

In the Gospel of John 14: 15-21, in his ‘Farewell Discourse’ to his remaining 11 disciples after the conclusion of the Last Supper, Jesus promised his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to help them. He gives them ( and us ) just ONE commandment – to LOVE ; that everything we do; we do for love of God. Judgement and our eternal life begins now. For the Apostle John, there is only one question to ask ourselves : “ In what ways did I or did I not love today?”

We must surely return this love by obeying God, serving the poor and working towards the common good

Above : ‘ Jesus’ Farewell Discourse’ by Duccio di Buoninsegna painted around 1308-1311

GOSPEL– John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, keep my commandments.(15)

And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you forever.(16)

The spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, nor knows him: but you shall know him; because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you.(17)

I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.(18)

Yet a little while: and the world sees me no more. But you see me: because I live, and you shall live.(19)

In that day you shall know, that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.(20)

He that has my commandments, and keeps them; he it is that loves me. And he that loves me, shall be loved of my Father: and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.(21)

At a very recent CLME meeting in Hong Kong, in the context of how we can get up and go to fulfil our mission – the Pope’s message for May was discussed, and the CLME member who made the thoughtful and inspiring presentation to the group has very kindly said that I may share her very pertinent reflections with my readers. So, here they are :-

Do we in our everyday lives consider our purpose - to bring the love and peace of the Lord to others?  

As leaders, are we afraid or reluctant to talk about or bring Jesus :

To the work place?

To the environments where we live?

How acceptable is it in my environment to make others experience the Lord’s love? How can I do it?

Pope Francis has clarified that a disciple is not only the one who arrives at a place but the one who starts with determination; the one who is not afraid to take risks and to start walking.

If you start walking, you are already a disciple. If you stand still, you have lost. To start walking - that is the greatest joy of the disciple: to be on the way ! Be not afraid to take risks and to walk.

So, how would bringing the experience of Jesus’ love to others look like ?

How do we do this ?

No one articulates this better than the Pope himself. And so, I share with you some bits and pieces of the enlightening words of Pope Francis himself which he said at Youth World Day in Panama in 2019.

"…Many of your peers lack opportunities, have problems, difficulties…

Let their wounds become your wounds, and you will be bearers of hope for this world. You will be able to say to your brothers and sisters: ‘Rise up, you are not alone”, and make them experience that God the Father loves us and that Jesus is his hand outstretched to lift us up.’”.

“…Notice that the love that unites us is a love that does not ‘kick’, that does not crush, it is a love that does not marginalise, that does not keep silent, a love that does not humiliate or overwhelm. It is the love of the Lord, an everyday love, discreet and respectful, a love of freedom and for freedom, a love that heals and lifts up. … It is the silent love of the outstretched hand in service and self-giving, it is the love that does not strut, that does not play the peacock, that humble love that gives itself to others always with an outstretched hand (...) “

“…Do not be afraid to love, do not be afraid of that concrete love, of that love that has tenderness, of that love that is service, of that love that spends its life. “

“…Mary dared to say "yes". Do we? She dared to give life to God's dream. And this is what she is asking us today: Do you want to give flesh to God's dream with your hands, with your feet, with your eyes, with your heart? Do you want the love of the Father to open up new horizons for you and lead you along paths never imagined, never thought of, dreamed of or hoped for that will make your heart sing and dance? Do we dare to say to the angel, like Mary: ‘Behold the servant of the Lord, Your Will be done’ ?”

“…Aspire to greatness because greatness is not only about becoming a CEO, owning the latest car, or acquiring the latest technology on the market. You were created for something more. Mary understood this and said: ‘Let it be done!’ “

“… The world will be better when more people are willing and encouraged to create tomorrow and believe in the transforming power of God's love.”

“… Do not be afraid to tell Jesus that you too want to take part in his story of love in the world, that you are for more! “

“ …Act today! No one can promise you tomorrow. Your life today is today. Your game is today. Your space is today… No, you are the present. You are not God's future, you are God's now”

“ …We can have everything, but if the passion of love is missing, everything will be missing. The passion of love today! Let the Lord make us fall in love and take us to tomorrow! “

“…Jesus is not a ‘meanwhile’ in life or a passing fad; he is a love of self-giving that invites us to give ourselves. It is concrete love, of today, close, real; it is festive joy that is born from opting for and participating in the miraculous catch of hope and charity, solidarity and fraternity in the face of so many paralysed and paralysing looks due to fears and exclusion, speculation and manipulation.”

“…Let’s not use excuses! May our limitations and our weaknesses not paralyse us, may we go forward with our defects - we will correct them - with our weaknesses, to go forward and thus is the beauty of knowing that we are sent, the joy of knowing that above all the inconveniences we have a mission to carry out.”

 “…Do not let limitations, weaknesses and even sins hold us back and prevent us from living the mission, because God invites us to do what we can and to ask for what we cannot, knowing that his love is taking us and transforming us progressively. Do not be afraid if you see your weaknesses, do not be afraid even if you see your sins, get up and go forward, always forward. Do not stay down, do not close yourselves, go forward with whatever you have on you, go forward, for God knows how to forgive all things.”

“ …Now comes the moment of going away and tell. Go and bear witness; go and pass on what you have seen and heard. And do this not with many words but, as you did here, with simple gestures and everyday gestures, those that transform and make new all things, those gestures capable of making a mess, a constructive mess, a mess of love.”

Above : 16th century Greek Icon of Jesus, the True Vine

In this 16^th century Greek icon of Jesus Christ as the True Vine, Christ is depicted as being the root and the stem from which all branches flow. He has an open Gospel on his lap. Growing out of the trunk are 12 branches with the 12 apostles being depicted, Peter and Paul being closest to Christ. It is a beautiful way to illustrate how Christ treated the disciples themselves as the organs of his earthly fruit-bearing.

And this is what Pope Francis is calling us to do;  be the branches attached to Jesus’ vine – to Get Up and Go ! Fulfil our mission. And, in the process, remain in harmony with the Church; this harmony being a gift of the Holy Spirit.

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