As you may know this month is dedicated to the mission. This last weeks, we have been talking about the mission of the Xaverian Missionaries. The first week we talk about the Xaverian Missionaries on general. The second week we talk about Who the Xaverians are. The third week was about how the Xaverians are. And this week, we will be talking about what the Xaverians do. For this topic, we bring to you Fr. Justin Hibur from Indonesia.
I am Fr. Justin from Indonesia. I am a Xaverian Missionary. I have been here in the Philippines since 2011. The only reason why I come to the Philippines is for missions.
I would like to share with you about the missionary work of the Xaverian
The single purpose of Xaverian missionaries is to proclaim the Gospel to the non-Christians. Thus, encountering other religions and cultures are ingrained in our heart and missions. We are doing this missionary work in four continents: Europe, America, Africa, and Asia.
Since the explicit work of the Xaverians is to work in dialogue with other cultures through intercultural or interreligious dialogue we carried out this mission in accord with the context or places where we are sent. For example, in Thailand we work together with the Buddhists. In Indonesia, the Xaverians do interreligious dialogue with the Muslims and other religions through various ways. Some working directly in interreligious and intercultural dialogue especially those who stay in the formation houses. While others working in some parishes.
In other countries like Brazil, in America, we work with the indigenous people and parishes. In Chad, in Africa, we work with the Muslims and collaborating with the local church by working in parishes.
How about our mission in the Philippines where majority of the populations are Catholics? As I said before although the single purpose of Xaverian congregation is to bring the Good News to the non-Christians, we do the mission in various ways according to the context of the place where we are sent. Here in the Philippines, for instance, some Xaverians are working in the parishes, others in interreligious and ecumenical dialogue.
The Xaverians are helping and collaborating with the local Church, in accordance with our Charism, to form Christian communities and to contribute to their process of growth in faith. Others in the formation house to prepare the young people to be sent to the mission. While others are doing the vocation promotion. Inviting the young people to join the Xaverian congregation.
However, as Missionaries, we have to be well prepared before jumping into the mission field. And that is why we go through some stages in formation such as postulancy, novitiate, philosophy and theology. These formations will help us to purify our motivation about mission.
One thing that we need to ponder is that mission is not only to go and tell others about the Lord, but also to receive that witness from those to whom we are sent. Often mission is understood in terms of giving only but true mission is also receiving. And that is why mission is an encounter and a dialogue where there is action of giving and receiving at the same time.
All of us know that God is at work in the world, and he wants you and me to join him. This we call mission. So, don’t waste your time. But spend your life-time by taking part in God’s mission. For you were made for a mission. Isolation, No. Mission, Yes.
If you dream to become a missionary and to make the world a single family in Christ come and join us.
