Reason, vision and mission

THE STORY is told about a man who boasted that he had 16 wives. When asked why he felt justified for having done so, his answer was that he married, 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer! To complete his rationalization, he further boasted that he could divorce eight of these wives. His reason? "Till d 8th do us part."

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In contrast to the accumulative and selfish spirit of the world, Jesus instructs His disciples to travel light in today's Gospel (Mk. 6, 7-13). In line with His vision of establishing the kingdom of God here on earth, Jesus admonishes His disciples to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick, no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were to wear sandals, but no second tunic. Furthermore, they were to preach repentance and do healing wherever they went.

These were Jesus' marching orders. Too ridiculous? Impractical? But, have we really ever tried?

The vision remains. The mission continues. The message remains the same: Repent. The Kingdom of God is at hand.

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In the words of Fr. Lino Nicasio, SVD, we are "sales reps," with a great product and a Great Boss. We are to travel light and simply. We are to persevere in spite of the inhospitable people, and continue to preach repentance and do Christ-like service to others.

As disciples, are we traveling light and free? Are we preaching His message or our own message? Are we persevering in our own work in spite of opposition and persecution? Are we really doing Christ-like service, or self-service? These are questions we have to raise again and again so that we will be true to Jesus' vision and mission.

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Just now, 10:30 p.m. of July 10, I received a phone call to anoint a dying person. My initial reaction was to let it pass, or to do it tomorrow. But then, am I not a disciple of the Lord? Was I not ordained a priest to do simply just this? It is in moments such as this when I have to surrender my human inclinations and human limitations to Jesus' instructions.

Sa totoo lang, it is not easy to have Jesus as CEO. But then, He is not just a Boss. He is a Master who loves, who understands, who supports and who is worth all our gratitude and love.

Come to think of it, everything is possible if there is love. There is nothing heavy if the heart is light. Nothing is cold if the heart is warm. Yes, Jesus is the reason for the mission.

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To be true to Jesus' vision and mission, we must learn to follow instructions. When we stop listening to the Coach, when we insist on our play and forget His game plan, then we are bound to fail and go astray. The first thing to do is to obey. We must not put our personal agenda over and above His agenda. We must not allow personal ambition to precede the mission.

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The second thing to do is travel light. Many a disciple has lost the way because he set his sight on the provisions along the way. Worse, many a disciple has stopped the journey precisely because it was more comfortable to stop and stay. No matter what, we must not stop. We must travel on.

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The third thing to do is to be free. When we get tied down, when we get too attached to material things or persons, then we are no longer free. Even our movements are limited. But more than external freedom, we must guard against being trapped within, by prisons we ourselves have made. As far as possible, no matter what, we must stay loose and stay free so we can get going on our way.

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Somebody shared with me this story about children who were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large tray of apples with the note, written by a nun: "Take only one. God is watching." At the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate cookies. A child had written a note: "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

Cute. We may laugh at this but, when you think about it, we are supposed to go beyond our childish ways of legalism and compromise. Commitment is not so much about rules and obligations. It is more of a grateful response, about going the extra mile and putting out just one more smile. We must rediscover the reason for the mission. Then, Jesus' radical marching orders wouldn't sound too ridiculous and impractical. As long as we know the reason, we can and will do the mission. As someone once put it beautifully: "As long as I know the why, the how wouldn't matter."

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As we move on, through valleys and mountains high, let us be assured of His constant love and protection. This is our greatest comfort and assurance: He is with us. He is the reason. His vision is our vision. His mission is our mission.

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Whoever you are, wherever you are right now, remember that in everything, there's a reason, there's a mission. Get going. Move on. It is the Lord who beckons.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, in everything, help me to find the reason and the mission in your vision. Amen.