Being a missionary: “You shall be my witnesses”
Br. Pau Tristany de Juan, of the Province of L’Hermitage, lives his Marist charism in Hungary. He has written an article in the news bulletin of the religious of Catalonia (Horeb n. 584) in connection with the theme of the celebration of World Mission Day (Sunday, October 23, 2022) on the missionary vocation. We reproduce below the article.
Whenever people ask me about my missionary vocation, I feel uncomfortable because I don’t know if I really have a missionary vocation. It is assumed that since I live far from the place where I was born I AM a missionary. But since I was very young, when I entered the Marists, I was “far” from home. My question is whether being a missionary is just a matter of distance.
For my mother being far away meant that she could not see me every week since she lived some kilometers away from Barcelona. Now that I live in Hungary and work with disadvantaged children and young people, especially with gypsies, many of my Marist Brothers also say that I live far away, not only geographically, but also with another language, in other culture, tradition… But the truth is that I feel at home. In Europe cultural differences are relative, we all have very similar origins and traditions. And regarding the addressees of my mission I don’t find it easier or more difficult to work with the poor or the rich.
Whenever I try to justify why it is difficult for me to accept that I am a missionary, quotes from the Gospel come to mind. It is really the Gospel that motivates me and its message is what I try to do and follow every day. I suppose any religious does too. Jesus was able to deal with lepers and with Pharisees, with prostitutes and with Roman centurions. Any person is worthy that we work for their dignity. The physician is not needed by those who are well, but by those who are sick (Mk 2:17).
As religious, have we forgotten that we have chosen to follow Christ who says that “foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Mt 8:20)? That is why I consider that I do not have a “home” where I belong. My home is where I find Christ and this can be anywhere and with any human community. On the other hand, I have many doubts about what it means to be a missionary. Isn’t Therese of Lisieux the patroness of the missions, who never left her convent? Isn’t it true that the religious vocation is to follow Christ in a concrete mission (contemplation, preaching, education, health, etc.)? Then why are some of us treated as missionaries and not others? If the motto of this year’s World Mission Day is “You shall be my witnesses” is it not up to all religious to be witnesses of Jesus and his Gospel wherever we are?
I encourage all religious, regardless of where they live, that on this day we feel like missionaries, to be witnesses of Christ and his love wherever we are.