Mission Immersion as a way of “Being” (Part 5, 6 and 7)

Part 5: The Basic option of Jesus: The Periphery

                In the Gospels, Jesus was called his disciple by words of invitation that until now re-echoes. Come to me! Come and see! Follow me! Go! These are the words of Jesus that captured his disciples and moved them to follow the Lord. In Matthew, as well as in other Gospels, it is evident that Jesus called and invited people to follow him and to be his disciples as companions and co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord – in order to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

                Discipleship is always radical and something that is not temporary. To be a disciple of Jesus is sent (as Jesus was also sent by the Father) to make disciples of the Lord, baptizing and teaching them. This command of Jesus is to be continued till the end of time “through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit.” But of course, the disciples in the NT were always haunted with doubts. Many times, the disciples misunderstood and doubted Jesus. Yet, Jesus taught them and reminded them again and again (as he did on the road to Emmaus). However, this only expresses the humanity of the disciples that always need guidance from Jesus and who taught them time and again.

                The call to discipleship is actually a call to “Galilee.” Galilee was the place where Jesus grew up. It was also the border region, the periphery tainted by pagan influences and revolutionary ideas. Galilee, indeed, was a very symbolic place. In the NT, it had both the sociological and missiological meaning.

                The people in Galilee were the excluded, the poor, and the marginalized where only bad news were heard and imposed. And Jesus grew up in this environment. He indeed belonged to this marginalized-second-class people who were systematically oppressed by oppressive powers. And Jesus identifies himself with them. And with them Jesus shared food, drink and stories.

Hapag ng Pag-asa by Joey Velasco
Jesus indeed belonged to this marginalized-second-class people who were systematically oppressed by oppressive powers. And Jesus identifies himself with them. And with them Jesus shared food, drink and stories.

                Moreover, Jesus, first and foremost, called his disciples who were mostly Galileans, in the poor and marginalized people. These same people were sent to do mission in Galilee. Galilee now represented the world where people continued to suffer, to be marginalized and oppressed. It is in this periphery where Jesus moved. And for Jesus, marginality means mobility, itinerancy and flexibility. This especially means that Jesus’ mission was a continuous journey – a mission on the road.

                Jesus’ mission though at the periphery, yet, he also went to the centre. Jesus' way of going to the centre was not for the sake of applauding himself but to confront the centre. He went to Jerusalem as a protest to the arrogance of the elites. It was Jesus’ final prophetic mission. It was very radical that even reached to the point of his own death on the cross. Going to the centre was to confront the oppressive power for the sake of the liberation of the poor, the abandoned and the marginalized.

                Certainly, the basic option of Jesus which is the periphery, is the option for the people, the poor, the oppressed and the victims.

               As disciples and modern day apostles of Jesus, we are to seek the marginalized and the oppressed in our society. It is to be faithful to the mission of Jesus entrusted to us his believers. The mission to the periphery is surely radical and demanding, thus, it must always be motivated through the person of Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit.

                Indeed, Jesus entrusted the mission to be continued by the gathered disciples (ecclesia) who at first had doubts and were fearful and ambitious. It was actually a risk for Jesus to entrust this mission. However, Jesus gave his disciples the Spirit to empower them. This mission now is being handed by the disciple to us, present Christians to continue Jesus’ mission by prolonging the logic of the mission in a creative, courageous and credible way.

                Jesus’ ministry was a loving encounter. And so the gathered disciples (ecclesia- community of believers) has to advocate the cause of the poor, to serve those who are in the periphery, to give sight to the blind, to heal the sick, to free the captives and to fight for justice for the victims and oppressed.

                It was already two thousand years ago that Jesus walked on earth, nevertheless, the church has to re-evaluate our mission on how we would carry out the mandate of our Lord. The church is confronted with the possibility of misunderstanding the mission or “had not been daring enough” to remain faithful to the call of Jesus. And we ask, how far and effective did the church transport and communicate Jesus to different culture and peoples?

                The challenge for the church now “is to make the message understood and to touch the people’s lives. Theological discourses should bring Christians to the simplicity of Jesus that the poor could easily understand – that Jesus may become truly good news to them. It is a big challenge for the church especially today. There are many theological discourses that must be re-interpreted into the words of Jesus for the sake of the poor and the most abandoned.

Part 6: The Missionary Spirituality

                The spirit of our charism should be the force that would lead us into a good missionary. One of its signs is our availability for the people, the frontier where we are sent to as missionaries.

                Spirituality does not merely mean to become a “spiritual man or woman” but rather to become more human in touch with the Spirit. It makes us open and connected with other human beings and to God. And there are actually many ways of Spirituality and our charism as Redemptorists should lead us into that kind of spirituality.

                Spirituality, moreover, should also lead us into the reality of the world rather than departing from the world. And as Christians and religious, this would allow us to have a sound prayer life and not to spiritual elitism. That’s why it is not actually something that can be learned in a classroom alone but through relationship and contemplation expressed in actions. In this way we grow daily in our everyday life with the ups and downs or even to get lost at times.

                It is important to remember that the formation or the growth of our spirituality is not through our own initiative but God’s with the individuals. Participation and effort from the person is still integral in the growth of his or her spirituality. Lacking the human element will only fall to spiritual laziness. Indeed, God works in us and through us. We do not become passive – letting God do everything for us but we as individuals participate. As God works – He is a God of our own history whom we know, whom we have encountered in our lives. The God who is working within us is not outside or alien to us.

               Hence, it is important to remember that the God we encounter is a God of History. As missionaries or even as Christians, we encounter God not in the clouds but among us, his people and in all his creation.

                Spirituality, indeed, is a constant touching of the divine spirit yet remain spontaneous.  The spirit is not structured or bound to any structures. Consequently, the spirit is always filled with surprises where we always encounter joy and sadness, trust and doubts, faith and fear, love and hate.

                Going back, a true spirituality is not a departure from the world or alienating ourselves of what is real. A true spirituality is rather to allow ourselves to be in the world and to recognize God’s presence in the world. Nevertheless, Jesus also called us to renounce the world. Yet, Jesus did not say of renouncing this “world” but what he really meant was to renounce any worldly attachments that may hinder us to be free. Worldly materials are good but our attachments to these will only block our sight from seeing and recognizing the other faces of the people and even the face of God present among His people.

                There are actually two kinds of spirituality. A Good and Bad Spirituality. A good spirituality is lived out among the people and with the people. This will allow us to recognize God’s people and people’s God. On the other hand, a bad spirituality is an over structure spirituality that over-emphasized structured prayer life yet does not see God among His people.

                Prayer life expresses in our practice of meditations and other forms of prayer, is not the whole of spirituality. This aspect is only a part of our whole spirituality. Our relationship with the people and God encompasses our Spirituality.

Part 7: Spirituality at the Periphery

                People at the periphery are those who are poor and oppressed having no resources, no dreams, no hopes, no power, no sight, no freedom, etc. Hence, the periphery is the world of the victims of injustice, exploitation and oppression. Indeed, this place is very depressive, not easily acceptable, and surely, very uncomfortable. As missionaries, this is the spirituality that Jesus has called us. We are called to this places where we don’t want to go, where there is no guarantee of success and promotions.

                It is where we allow the spirit to catch us, to disturb us and to encounter doubts and fears so that we may arrive into a sound spirituality that makes us available, self-giving, confident and prophetic.

                This spirituality at the periphery has been already in the tradition of the Redemptorists. In fact, this is the spirituality that St. Alphonsus had.

                In the history of the congregation, St. Alphonsus had founded this group of brothers not for the sake of fraternity alone but for the sake of the poor and the most abandoned. The encounter of the young Alphonsus with the patients at the Hospital of the Incurables and the poor vendors at the market place of Naples, made the heart of this young man to be fertile. Alphonsus with the other crises he faced finally heard and heeded the voice of God among His abandoned people to become a priest. Later on, the further encounter of Alphonsus with the poor farmers and goatherds at Scala, the young Alphonsus took the risk and a radical decision had been made to found a group of brothers dedicated to proclaim the Gospel.

                Missions even at the time of Alphonsus, were always at the periphery, in the countryside where there was no access of the church and even of the assistance of the state. Yet, Alphonsus had never forgotten the abandoned people even at the city of Naples. Alphonsus had them always in his mind, hence, he continued to reach out to them. This is evident on the occasions where Alphonsus and his friends gathered the people at the market place for an evening session, this they called the “Evening Chapels.”

                Alphonsus had always a compassionate heart for the poor and the most abandoned. His personal encounter with them had made tremendous effect to this young noble. Alphonsus had surely met God and had known personally God through and among the poor and the most abandoned. And Alphonsus had known a compassionate, forgiving, and loving God whose redemption overflows. Yes, Alphonsus had realized a God who is near where one could easily call and rely when times are difficult.

                Alphonsus through his marvellous writings expressed his spirituality particularly grounded in his encounter with the simple people. Accordingly, the many prayers like the novena to the Holy Spirit, to the incarnation (Christmas), to the death and resurrection of Jesus (stations of the cross), to Mary, and the meditations and visits to the Blessed Sacrament and many more were the expressions of Alphonsus.

                In addition, the marvellous theological works of Alphonsus on Moral Theology take the central image of Alphonsus’ God. His theology was primarily based on a God who is so loving, so forgiving and so compassionate. He is a God who wants everyone to be saved and to be restored in His presence. Indeed, Alphonsus had this realization and radical spirituality despite being scrupulous. The poor and the most abandoned were primarily the ones who brought him to Jesus for Jesus himself is among them.