MISSIONARY PARADIGM

“Go forth and make disciples everywhere” is the missionary command given by Jesus to his disciple. Following this call, disciples went far and wide to actualize it with a true spirit. We the religious too being the followers of same Rabbi, need to actualize the call we’ve received. In reality the zeal remains vibrant for a few days after our Ordination or profession and within no time this spirit evaporates and we become ordinary people.  Here let me share two paradigms we usually fall into.

Duck Paradigm

Ducks do not live in isolation. Often they live in groups. Further they look for ponds or streams to swim. They catch small fishes. They just float and swim in the water, cleaning the dirt from their bodies.

Many of our religious people live as Ducks. Happy with the religious life within the four walls of convents, presbytery or monasteries or seminaries. They are happy that they get everything ready-made. There is a ready-made stream or pond to swim in the form of school or parish or an institute. Happy with the little service they do. Happy with the little development it is already making. No extra work, no extra burden to carry and no extra initiatives. Once in a year they clean their dirt (confessions), that too out of compulsion, as it is the rule. No doubt, they don’t do missionary service or in the heart they do not have love for the mission; they do have and are doing, however not with the missionary zeal as they ought to be.

No sooner they establish themselves in the institution, than they become faceless and one among the crowd. They follow a strong crowd mentality. Now the concern of the people is not their concern, but their concern is forced on to the people whether the people like it or not.

I had been to a parish on my holidays. An old man of about 60 years came to meet the parish priest at around 3 O’clock in the afternoon. As he pressed the bell, a stern reply came from inside not even bothering to see who the person is, “Don’t you know that this is my siesta time? Come after 4 O’Clock.” This is not just one incident from a presbytery. There are several such common incidents from other institutes also. The question is, where is my pastoral / religious commitment gone? Like little ducks we are happy to swim in the same pond, catch small fishes and float in the same water.

Eagle Paradigm

Eagle by its very nature lives an isolated life; lives in the high mountains and in the dangerous places. Mostly their nests are in the dangerous places. They are the only birds which fly high in the sky and have the sharp vision. They catch not only small fishes or worms but larger birds and animals even. They seldom fly alone.

Some of the religious people are like eagles. They like to fly alone, swim against the current. Fly in different situations and conditions. They like challenges, they like to live in an isolated, dangerous places. Their nests are amongst the dangerous people and situation. They do not fear for the animals or hard situations. They catch not just little fishes, but all kinds of fishes and birds. They have a sharp vision. They can see not just far but beyond their time.

These are the people who do not have time for themselves. There is no distinction between day and night for their service. When Blessed Joseph Vas was in Mangalore, he was asked to take Holy Communion to a sick man by a group of people. With utmost sincerity, he takes and walks miles and miles at night without knowing that the people are trying to trap him. It is the Eucharistic miracle that saved him from death on that night says the history.  That’s why such missionaries live forever.

Mother Theresa, Xavier, Martin Luther King, saints are some of the examples for this ‘eagle missionaries.’ What kind of missionaries you want to be? Is it eagle type or duck type? Are you ready and able to take risk in life or like to move with the anonymous faceless crowd?

(This is a sermon I preached sometimes ago for a religious community).