The Holy Spirit Makes Every Disciple a Missionary

Veni Sanctus Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a noun and a verb; a person, and a process. 

Our salvation was not enough. Yes, our sins are forgiven, and our debt wiped clean. We are free. AND we are adopted. We are part of God’s family. Not as a guest, but as beloved child and heir. In and through the Spirit, we are born again. 

There is more! We participate in the dynamic of infinite love, the unimaginable community of God the Father almighty, Creator and Heaven and Earth, and Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. 

Do we believe that every time we utter a prayer it is the Spirit of the Living God speaking through us? Do we know that Spirit speaks through us every time we remember Jesus and proclaim his death and resurrection? Do we feel a deep longing – a groaning within – for a fulfillment that is within our grasp? Are we awed when we love selflessly with a love from somewhere beyond us? 

The Spirit is given to us. We need to immerse ourselves in the Spirit’s many gifts. In the words of the old gospel song – “Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.” The Spirit is music. Let’s sing and dance! God’s love can consume us but never extinguish us. Heat and Light, yes. Burnt or blinded, no. Jesus loves us through death and raises us to new life.

This is good news! We are sent. Let every fiber of our being proclaim Jesus! Every disciple is a missionary, someone who leads others to Jesus through the witness of their lives, compassionate service, the conviction of their words, deep listening and respectful dialogue, sincere prayer and worship, nobility of culture, work for justice and passion for reconciliation.  

Before, during, and after mission, leaders gather in community to share the journey, form each other for service and mission, and explore new ways to animate and advocate for mission. 

USCMA is such a community and shares Pope Francis’s dream of a missionary Church. A modest gift of $10, $25, or $50 connects us to you and you to a growing network of faith leaders creating, through their engagement, a missionary church. 

Come Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of YOUR love! Amen. 

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