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We must keep lamp of missionary spirit burning brightly |
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By Deacon Mickey Friesen
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Tuesday, 19 May 2009 |
In the early 19th century in France, a young woman, Pauline Jaricot, had a vision. She saw two oil lamps — one, empty; the other full.
Mission Link
Deacon Mickey Friesen
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In her dream, the full lamp was filling up the empty one, making it fit once again for use. Pauline interpreted the full lamp to represent the growing faith of the missionary church of her day — probably the Americas and China.
She thought the empty lamp referred to the waning faith of the church
in her own country of France. She believed that the vibrant faith of
these growing churches could “fill up” and renew the faith in France.
Offering prayer, sacrifice
In response to this dream, Pauline began to gather together small
groups of factory workers. She asked each member of the group to offer
daily prayer and a weekly sacrifice for the church’s worldwide
missionary work.
The groups would share stories of faith in foreign lands and reflect on
their own story of faith. This humble beginning of cooperating with
God’s mission and renewing faith became a lay movement that spread
across France and the rest of Europe.
Eventually, this movement became adopted by the universal Catholic
Church and was founded as the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
The first fruit of this movement in 1822 went to support the missions
of Kentucky and the vast Diocese of Louisiana, which then extended from
the Florida Keys to Canada.
Today, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith is present in every Catholic diocese in the world.
The legacy of Pauline Jaricot’s insight into the vision of the two lamps still holds true today.
Participating in God’s mission renews the faith of the church. There is
a mutual exchange of gifts that happens when we offer ourselves in
prayer, sacrifice and sharing faith with the church in mission.
Prayer unites us with God and one another. Making a sacrifice for
another can open up our hearts to compassion. Sharing stories of faith
strengthens the church.
A missionary spirituality is one that is nourished by the universal
dimensions of our faith and trusts that God calls each of us to
participate in prayer, sacrifice and sharing faith in ways and places
that only we can.
Together, we form the body of Christ, which extends to the ends of the earth.
Birth of the church
Soon we will celebrate the major feast day of Pentecost. It is one of
the three high points of the church year along with Christmas and
Easter. Sometimes it becomes the forgotten feast because of its timing
on our calendar. And, yet, we say that Pentecost is the birthday of the
church.
The revelation of God’s saving plan comes to fulfillment at Pentecost
so that, as Jesus said, “My joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
Pentecost reveals the Spirit of God coming upon the disciples as a
missionary spirit. We are, as Vatican II said, missionary by our very
nature. And this mission reaches to all nations.
Pauline Jaricot’s response to her vision of the two lamps launched a
worldwide movement of lay people joining in God’s mission. She became a
marvelous instrument because she trusted so deeply in God’s vision and
mission.
That same missionary spirit and dream is entrusted to us as a lamp to
keep burning brightly. How may God be calling you to pray, to sacrifice
and to share this gift of faith to the world?
Deacon Mickey Friesen is director of the Center for Mission and the
archdiocesan contact for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
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