According to our founder “ the apostolic life combined with the profession of the religious vow, is in itself the most perfect life possible.” ( LT 2) Thus, we, xaverians, commit ourselves to continue the work of God who calls us with two purposes: to be with him and to be sent by him…(Mark 3, 13-15) . In sending us, he wants us to encounter people, to serve them and to let ourselves be evangelized by them. So far, as I can understand our charism, we are not sent to be insular people, rather, we have to deal with the whole creation in preaching the Gospel. This is what we call apostolate
I have been in the Philippines for only six months. Drawing from my own little experience and bearing in mind that I know neither the language nor the culture, I wonder what kind of apostolate am I called to do! I wonder whether there are some challenges and opportunities in the apostolate. Is there a special call for a special apostolate for me? What are the opportunities that I can I draw from this challenges? When Jesus sent his disciples before his ascension into heaven, he breathed on them the power of the Holy Spirit; they went into new lands and, though they did not know anything about the hosted country, they could preach the Gospel and draw people to Christ. How did they manage to communicate with the indigenous whom they met? It is obvious that the Holy Spirit was the one working within them. They were docile to the spirit of Christ. like the apostles, am I also docile to the same Spirit of Jesus who is on work in me and keeps on showing me new ways, new opportunities of doing my apostolate?.
Upon arriving in the Philippines, I found the arms of the theology community widely open to welcome me. The following Sundays, brothers used to bring me in different zones of their apostolate; in short I was well initiated. I can't help remembering this experiences. Not knowing the language, which is the principal challenge, I discovered that from that weakness, God is leading me to experience some opportunities : the opportunity of having brothers for instance, they are my translator and teacher of the filipino culture, the opportunity of being a missionary, the opportunity of being aware that God is always with me, and so on. How beautiful and merry it is to meet people who are willing to talk to me even though I can’t, virtually, grasp anything from their speeches; is not this the real school of patience and graduality, lest to mention the obedience to the life? When the feeling of disappointment comes, when I feel that I have to throw in the towel or give up, is there a time for me to be sluggish and abject or is there a call of the Holy Spirit to use the gifts He has bestowed on me since my baptism, specially the gift of knowledge and wisdom in order to study and work hard?
I am convinced that a missionary, in his apostolate, is the extension of Christ because Jesus sends him ahead, “ to every place where himself was to go.” (Lk 10, 1). He gives him instructions and one of them is, “ whatever house or country you enter, first bless them saying Peace to this house.” (Lk 10, 5).
Bearing in mind this intrinsic quality of a missionary as a man of peace, I want to corroborate this thought with the one of madre Teresa who experience that smile is the very deep way to start peace; this little thing might be a buzz of a big company that is Peace. That is why aslo I try to do the apostolate of smile. This is also one of the big opportunities I have in my way of dealing with people. Lately, I have been committed to bringing the Eucharist to the sick people in Zone II ( With brother Cassien) and I could really realized how a little smile might alleviate, soothe or even lessen the sorrow of a sick person. I remember visiting a man bedridden for more than two years, before we entered the house, the man was downcast, but when he raised up his head and glanced at us smiling, we could see also his face shining with smile and we could assume the peace he felt in his heart at that very moment.
In sum, the apostolate gives a lot of opportunities of experiencing happiness and conversion. Though the way to reach this conversion seems to be full of challenges, these later offer many chances, specially when we bear in mind the one who sent us and who is always telling us, “ I am with you, until the end of this world.” (Mt 28, 20). With this guarantee, which kind of difficulty can I be afraid of?
