The apostolic panorama

“JESUS summoned the Twelve and gave them power and

authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to

proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Lk 9,1)

            I wonder if we realize that with these words, we who

profess to believe in God and in the truth that we are his image and

likeness, children of his, meant to participate in his life and work,

are also called like the twelve apostles. That is, that we are also

apostles entrusted with an important mission.

            It may still be some breaking news to many, a big surprise

yet to a great number of us, that our life and identity as followers

of Christ unavoidably commit us to do apostolate to continue the

redemptive work of Christ till the end of time.

            Christ, being God who is also man, certainly does not need

us to continue his work of redemption. He is all-powerful. Nothing is

impossible with him. But he involves us in his continuing work of

redemption because that is what is good and proper to us.

            We need to plug this gap in our understanding of our

Christian identity. Our relation with the others, our love and concern

for them, our responsibility toward them just cannot be restricted to

the level of our physical, emotional, social and other human needs.

            Our relation with the others has to cover all our needs.

This is what true love is all about, love being the very core and

purpose of our life. And the whole scope and range of love begins and

ends with God. All our needs in the different aspects of our life

would not be fully satisfied unless God is placed at the center of

them all.

            In other words, it’s God who is our constant, real and

ultimate need. If we don’t feel that need for God for whatever reason,

then we have the basis precisely for the duty to do apostolate, to

bring Christ to souls and vice-versa, and to proclaim Kingdom of God.

            We have to learn to talk about God with everyone and in

every situation. Obviously, we have to do this properly, that is, in

ways that are respectful of our human nature and condition, weakened

as it is by sin.

            Let’s never forget that the best way to drive people away

from God and from religion in general is when we bring the topic of

God and the spiritual, moral and supernatural realities in an

inappropriate way.

            We have to learn to adapt and attune ourselves to the

concrete conditions of persons, taken individually and collectively.

In this, God himself has shown us the way. He made a long preparation

before the coming of his son.

            And when the time came, what is known as the fullness of

time, the son became man and went through the whole process of

adapting himself to the human condition, and this pursued all the way

to the cross.

            We have to learn to be very patient and creative in

carrying out this duty to do apostolate. We have to be ready to be

misunderstood and humiliated, and yet we ought to persevere, preaching

in season and out of season, like what St. Paul once said.

            The objective truth is that the panorama of the apostolic

challenge is immense and tremendous these days. With all the

developments that in themselves are good and most welcome, we have to

contend with the reality that these same developments also tend to

weaken the sense of religion among many people, especially the young.

            There is a lot of religious indifference and doctrinal

ignorance and confusion. Even the popular piety that we sometimes see

around is contaminated with a lot of superstition.

            The duty to do apostolate has to be taken out from the

back burner. We need to give it more teeth, more fuel. We have to

fulfill it with more seriousness and competence, grounding it properly

on one’s intimate relation with God and driving it with true love that

is not afraid of the cost of sacrifice.

            Yes, there is need to do a lot of apostolate of doctrine

and of confession, since the ignorance and confusion often go with all

sorts of sins that would deaden our need for God.

            To do this, we have to understand that apostolate always

has to be based on true friendship, marked with understanding,

compassion and mercy, as well as the persistence to bring God to

people’s lives.

            Concretely, we have to have daily apostolic plans,

renewing and adjusting them as circumstances dictate.