In the Footsteps of St. Louis Marie de Montfort
"Footsteps Online"
November 2003 (Volume 8, Issue 2)
Mission Strategy
As with all Religious Societies, Montfort Missionaries are seeking the way ahead for their life and ministry. We are in a time of discernment as we search to renew our motivation and mission for the Church and for the world.
The Provincial Council last September asked Frs. Bob Douglas and Ronnie Mitchell to form a Mission Team. This we have sought to do, and have given Parish Missions in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Now, at the request of the editor of FOOTSTEPS, we share something of our motivation and of what we have found. Two themes are inseparable: Evangelisation and the building up of community.
1. Proclaiming Christ
In his document Mission of the Redeemer, no. 3, Pope John Paul II makes a prophetic and revolutionary calling: "....the moment has come to commit all the Church's energies to a new evangelization.... No believer in Christ, no institution of the Church can avoid this supreme duty: to proclaim Christ to all peoples."
The new evangelization must be founded on the person of Jesus Christ and His gospel. Pope John Paul II went to the heart of the new evangelization when he said that it "is not a matter of merely passing on doctrine but rather of a personal and profound meeting with the Saviour."
The Second Vatican Council and the Great Jubilee have been a summons from the Spirit to make the light of Christ shine before the generations of the new millennium. We who honour the life and work of Montfort need to see how we can play our part in the new evangelization. We need to reflect on what the Spirit is saying to us at this time of our history. We want to bring the dynamic resources of Montfort's spirituality to the People of God.
As the Holy Father wrote in At the Beginning of the New Millennium, Chapter 3: "It is not therefore a matter of inventing a new programme. The programme already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel.... it has its centre in Christ himself....But it must be translated into pastoral initiatives adapted to the circumstances of each community."
In Catechesi Tradendae 9, the Holy Father says: "the parish remains the pre eminent place for catechesis. It must rediscover its vocation which is to be a fraternal, welcoming home where those who have been baptized and confirmed become aware of forming the people of God. From that home they are sent out day by day to their apostolic mission in all the centres of activity in the life of the world."
On our Parish mission work in England, Scotland and Ireland over the past year we have found that building up the parish community as a "school of prayer" has been at the top of our agenda. According to the mind of the Church at this time our priorities are: 1. Holiness, 2. Prayer, 3. The Sunday Eucharist, 4. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, 5. The primacy of God's grace or love in our lives, 6. Listening to the Word, 7. Proclaiming the Word, 8. Deepening Devotion to Mary. We would add Services of Healing, for when we include these during the Mission the church is usually packed.
2. A Spirituality of Communion
If the parish is to become a school of holiness and recapture its missionary calling then it must develop "a spirituality of communion" which needs to be extended to homes, schools, places of work and to the marketplace.
A "spirituality of communion" means to see our brothers and sisters in the light of faith, to share their joys and sufferings, to sense their desires and attend to their needs, to offer them deep and genuine friendship. It means ongoing collaboration between priest and people. It removes the selfish temptations of competition, careerism, distrust and jealousy. Unless we follow this path, the institutional will crumble around us.
External structures without this spirituality of communion would become "mechanisms without a soul" rather than its means of expression and growth. We need this communion in order to live and work by the power of the Holy Spirit in the service of the Church and for the salvation of the world.
And now to the pastoral practice…
How can we best live the graces of the new evangelization and the spirituality of communion? The growing shortage of priests gives us more opportunities to explore these new dynamics for mission and animate lay collaboration. Can we give an account of our stewardship during September 2003?
We had "great expectations" going into a month's Mission in the Parish of St. Edmund's and St. Thomas of Canterbury, Waterloo, Liverpool. Let us enumerate some of these expectations and how they were realized.
1. We expected to find the sick, the infirm and the housebound to be praying for the Parish and the Mission. We were not disappointed. We were immeasurably inspired and encouraged by the faith of those we visited. We discovered a huge reservoir of prayer support to hand. We spent the first week visiting these good people, hearing Confessions, administering the Anointing of the Sick and giving Holy Communion.
2. During the second week of the Mission we visited Catholic homes in the Parish and were very well received. We were warmly welcomed by many and politely acknowledged by those who for one reason or another had lapsed from the practise of their Faith. On this "doorstep ministry" we did not find any criticism or negativity directed against the Church. On the contrary, we found that when you begin to talk to people who have "strayed from the flock" you sense deep down that they know they are missing something. The "missing something" could be the need for belonging to God and to a Parish community which the Church has in its power to satisfy and foster.
3. We visited the children at School several times even putting in an appearance at a Parents' Coffee Morning which strengthens the necessary link between School and Home. We were most impressed by the attentiveness and respect which the children showed to their teachers. We had a beautiful Mass in the Church and were edified by the preparation for the liturgy and the reverence of the young people. We left a Miraculous Medal for each child and several told us of their delight in receiving it. Let us not underestimate the spiritual effect of giving holy pictures, medals and objects of piety to others especially those of impressionable age.
4. The spirit of prayer promotes the spirit of evangelism. The atmosphere in each church at times was so tangible with the presence of the Lord. We sense that what met our high expectations too was the felt need for prayer among the parishioners. A number even joined us for half an hour's prayer before each of the evening celebrations. God will never disappoint us when we pray for His intentions to be fulfilled.
5. The undoubted zeal of all those exercising the various ministries in the Parish knew no bounds. Sacristans, musicians, all kinds of helpers have to be congratulated. Yes, it is a measure of the grace of a Mission but also of the presence and activity of God in the Parish. There are many ministries, many vocations and many ways of serving the Lord in His Church. We can never be disappointed in the witness of people whose hearts are open to the grace and love of God. We really want to pay tribute to the support of the people's prayers on this Mission. We were quite taken by the spirit of prayer in the Parish.
In the mornings and afternoons we had Masses and Holy Hours in both churches through the first three weeks of the Mission. We reserved the Proclamation of the Word for the third week. It is worth recalling how we did this on the five weekday evenings following the recitation of the Rosary at 7 p.m.
On the Monday we had the Penitential Service. After the preaching of the necessity of hearing and acting upon the Word of Repentance there were eight priests available to hear Confessions. Here we sought to celebrate the great truth of the Sacrament of Reconciliation: we cannot hear the Good News unless we know that we need to have something done for us, i.e. our sins are forgiven.
On Tuesday we preached the Word of Healing. Convinced that we remember four times more of what we see than what we hear, we had the Gospel dramatised by a group of dedicated parishioners. It was the scene in which the little lady with the haemorrhage was healed through touching the fringe of Jesus' robe. Then the people came up for the Blessing with the Oil of Gladness. There was great appreciation for the evening on Healing. And we believe that Jesus continues His Healing Ministry through the Church today. "Say the Word and let my servant be healed" (Luke 7:7). These words are as true today as they were then. God does not change.
On Wednesday the Reading of the Gospel of the Annunciation was illustrated with a mimed dialogue between the Archangel Gabriel and Our Lady. The response wanted was a willingness to surrender to God's plan for your life however unexpected or humanly impossible was the request. The people were led in an Act of Consecration to Jesus through Mary as taught by St. Louis Marie de Montfort.
On the following evening the Gospel scene of the refusal of some disciples to accept the teaching of Jesus that He is the Bread of Life was acted out. It was a poignant feeling to see some leave His side. But Peter speaks up: "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life." We then invited everyone to come up before the exposed Blessed Sacrament and commit themselves to the truth of the Real Presence.
On Friday we gave out the Words of Intercession, Encouragement and Praise. On this final evening we wanted the parishioners to respond to Matthew 28:19. Go out and witness to your faith in Christ. So we invited them to come up to the altar where we "commissioned" them for the ministry of witnessing to the Gospel through the Laying on of Hands.
We believe that God's Blessing on any Mission or Ministry comes through prayer and that is why we would ask you, dear "Footsteps" readers, to continue your prayerful support for all our Montfortian apostolates. It is very much appreciated. Thank you.
