The Word who is Life: Vision for Mission

Bishop Richard has requested that all parts of the Diocese meet to have a conversation about our mission and our future.  He quoted Pope Francis: 

"all of us are asked to obey the call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel" (EG20)

In preparation for this Michael Hornsby-Smith has produced a contribution and kindly allowed it to be published below.

The meetings will be held on

Monday 15th January, 10am at St Pius X Church Hall

and

Thursday 18th January, 8pm at St Joseph’s Church Hall

THE WORD WHO IS LIFE: VISION FOR MISSION
A Contribution to the Parish Conversation

I           Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) espec. Sections 849-886, 897-913.
 
These make particular reference to the Vatican II documents, espec. Ad Gentes and Lumen Gentium.
Themes include:

1. the missionary mandate: 'Go and make disciples of all nations' (849; Mt. 28:19-20)
   
2. the origin and purpose of mission: to share in the communion of the Trinity (850; also see JPII's Redemptoris Missio.
3. missionary motivation: (851; espec. love; truth.)
4. missionary paths:  (852-6; incl. Human weakness, patience, Christian unity and respectful dialogue
   
5. the vocation of lay people: to seek the kingdom of God (LG 31:2),  including the participation of lay people in Christ's priestly office (901-903); prophetic office (904-7) incl. witness of life; consideration of the common good and human dignity; and kingly office (908-13) conforming to the norms of justice.

II         Vatican II: Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (Ad Gentes)
 
Ch. 2 is on 'Mission Work Itself' and includes:

1. Christian witness: 'all Christians are bound to show forth by example of their lives and by the witness of their speech...' (AG: 11)
2. Preaching the Gospel and Gathering God's People Together (AG: 13-14)
3. Forming the Christian Community (AG: 15) with an ecumenical spirit.
   
   

III        Vatican II: Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium)
 
Ch. 4 The Laity: 'the laity by their very vocation seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God' (LG 31). They participate in the priestly, prophetic and kingly functions of Christ. Their prophetic role amounts to 'evangelisation, that is, the announcing of Christ by a living testimony (witness) as well as by the spoken word' (LG 35).

IV        Some Personal Questions and Suggestions
 
How do we bring about the Kingdom of God in our parish, local society (Guildford), nation, global world?  I suggest we need to be inducted more into the Kingdom of God with its concerns for Human dignity, common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, preferential option for the poor and preferential option for non-violence and the call of Jesus in Luke 4 to 'go and preach the Good News to the poor'; learn about Catholic Social Teaching; and the importance and priority of pursuing Justice and Peace in our parish in ecumenical collaboration and dialogue.

V         The Diocesan Questions
 

1. What or who are the 'peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel'? (e.g. the poor, needy, homeless, refugees, etc.).
2. What formation do we need to help us to 'go forth'? (e.g. understanding Catholic Social Thought and the significance of the Kingdom of God, on earth as in heaven etc.)
3. What tasks need to be done and by whom? (e.g. greater emphasis on J & P and house groups?)
4. What will help us be more effective in our mission? (e.g. collaboration between clergy and laity; encouragement by invitation of younger generations; importance of ecumenical collaboration and the pursuit of evangelisation together e.g. Good Friday walk of witness; possible involvement in local politics; action over refugees; etc.)
   

                                                                                                                        MPHS 19/12/17