Mini-Redeemers

Last Sunday, as you remember, was the feast of the Most Holy Redeemer and we celebrated the feast with great joy – and in a beautifully decorated church.

We Redemptorists received a special letter from our Fr General in Rome which I would like to share with you.   Fr General made two simple but profound points.

Jesus is a missionary.  He was sent by the Father and in turn Jesus sends his friends and disciples as missionaries to build up the Kingdom of God.  To be a missionary is to be close to those to whom one is sent.  As Christian we are ALL missionaries; we are all SENT to share the message of redemption directly and personally with others.

Jesus is sent in love.  We are sent out of love.  Fr General writes: “God does not love the world in the abstract.  God loves the world concretely, so much that God has definitively entered our world through the Incarnation.  Sent out of love, we are called to incarnate this love of God in our lives, in our words, and in concrete actions for others”.

Each one of us shares the missionary love of Jesus.  This is not a statement for one day or one feast only;  it is a programme of life.  It is for each day of our lives.   As the actual feast of the Most Holy Redeemer fades from our memories, we pray that we will not lose the joy of being sent in love to others – today.  As Fr General concludes, “May Jesus our Redeemer and our Mother of Perpetual Help accompany us each and every day as we live our missionary vocations with joy and hope”.

Fr Sean Wales, C.Ss.R.