“SEE
YOUR DAILY LIFE AND THOSE YOU MEET EVERY DAY AS YOUR MISSIONARY
TERRITORY”. This is a statement from the
ANAWIM WAY Liturgical Meditations on September 4, 2013.
I
used to think of a MISSIONARY as one who goes out to a foreign land to spread
the Faith. The said statement, however,
has made me reconsider my viewpoint.
I
was touched by the story in the ANAWIM WAY Booklet of a Christian woman who
found work as a domestic helper in a non-Christian country. Before starting her chores in the household,
she used to offer her morning prayer before a makeshift altar she set up in her
room. One day she went into her room and
was surprised to find her non-Christian employer kneeling before the
altar. When she asked her what she was
doing, her boss said: “I wanted to see how kneeling before this table makes you
come out peaceful and happy every morning.”
Over time, through this Christian worker’s many more simple acts of witnessing
to her Christian faith, the employer found faith in Jesus and was baptized.
This
story is clear evidence that by the example of our lives we can spread our faith
to others.
At
present I live in a community where most of the people are engaged in a
business venture of one kind or another.
Time for them is mostly spent in attending to the affairs of their
respective businesses. Hence, the call
of the Church to form BASIC ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES (BEC) is a tall order for
them. This call challenges them to reset
their priorities and make commitments to invest their time, talent and treasure
to the task of building God’s Kingdom in their community.
Being
a resident in this community, I realize
that this is the MISSIONARY TERRITORY where God wants me to spread the
Christian Faith. Hence, these are the
challenges that I now see to fulfill my mission:
1. How
to live daily an exemplary Christian life.
2. How
to take time to visit families in their homes.
3. How
to persuade families to have a Bible Enthronement in their homes and listen to the Word of
God.
4. How
to invite people to participate in the Community Mass that is held once a month in our Barangay.
I pray that with the enlightenment and empowerment of the
Holy Spirit I shall be able tackle these challenges as a Missionary in my own
Barangay.
by: Buddy Cagurangan
September 8, 2013
