Introduction
“O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth!” sings the psalmist to Yahweh. It is found at the beginning and end of Psalm 8. This psalm contains a beautiful reflection about God’s creation of the universe, the world, other living beings, and humankind in particular. It has a specific genre of praise, chiastic writing style, and existential-theological meaning. Framed by words of affirmation in God’s awesome name throughout all the earth, the psalmist is able to show a more appreciative acceptance of his being a little one under God’s care throughout the history of salvation. Being surrounded by so many difficulties in life, yet the psalmist can give thanks to Yahweh with words of praise. He does not bother anymore about what happens to himself because he eventually knows that God is mindful of his existence. Even if he is just a small, finite being among other God’s creatures, the love he has received from his creator makes him realize that God alone is enough.
As a missionary, I perceive the possibility of relating this psalm to the life of a missionary. I change a little bit the words of the psalmist: “What is “missionary” that you are mindful of him?” It is not enough for a missionary to live an apostolic life in the mission field without a spirit of living faith—to see, seek, and love in everything. In that sense, a contemplative life proposed by the psalmist is also crucial for missionaries, whose main work is to bring the Good News of God’s Kingdom to all nations. Though I aim to limit my reflection only to missionaries (ad gentes), I still believe that contemplative life is also important for everyone in general.
What is “missionary” that you are mindful of him?
When I read the whole chapter of Psalm 8, I found out that the psalmist is a person who is able to experience the presence of God in all creations through his contemplative eyes. Based on this impression, I then tried to relate it to the life of a missionary. Using the words of the psalmist itself (v. 5), I replace “man” with "missionary,” and it becomes, “What is “missionary” that you are mindful of him?” Literarily, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines a missionary as a person who is sent to a foreign country to teach people about Christianity. Within this context, the first challenging thing to be done by a missionary is to leave his own country, and it means, all his belongings.
Moreover, the Catholic Church, through its document, Ad Gentes, notes that “missions is the term usually given to those particular undertakings by which the heralds of the Gospel, sent out by the Church and going forth into the whole world, carry out the task of preaching the Gospel and planting the Church among peoples or groups who do not yet believe in Christ (Ad Gentes § 6).[1] Therefore, a missionary life has never been an easy path to walk through. It is always challenging and dynamic: leaving behind whatever necessary for a greater glory of God on earth. As a matter of fact, the proper purpose of a missionary activity is evangelization, and the planting of the Church among those peoples and groups where it has not yet taken root (AG § 6).
However, the missionary must see his personal apostolate as a prolongation of that of Christ and of the Church.[2]
“Christ the Lord always calls whomever He will from among the number of His disciples, to be with Him and to be sent by Him to preach to the nations... He inspires the missionary vocation in the hearts of individuals, and at the same time He raises up in the Church certain institutes which take as their own special task the duty of preaching the Gospel, a duty belonging to the whole Church” (AG § 23).
From that point of view, we get to know that the missionary is never an independent worker. He is sent by legitimate authority; he goes in the spirit of faith and obedience (AG § 23), and he gives himself wholeheartedly to the work assigned to him (AG § 25). In other words, a missionary is an agent of the Church, working under the hierarchical authority of the Church, and is part of the missionary effort of the Church.[3] Then, Ad Gentes highlights further:
“Announcing the Gospel to all nations, a missionary confidently makes known the mystery of Christ […] Following in his Master's footsteps, meek and humble of heart, he proves that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matt. 11:29ff.). By a truly evangelical life, in much patience, in long - suffering, in kindness, in unaffected love (cf. 2 Cor. 6:4ff.), he bears witness to his Lord, if need be to the shedding of his blood […] Then, of course, missionaries can and must at least bear witness to Christ by charity and by works of mercy, with all patience, prudence and great confidence. Thus, they will prepare the way for the Lord and make Him somehow present.”[4]
Because of this specific call from God, a missionary must be ready to stay at his vocation for an entire lifetime, to renounce himself and all those whom he thus far considered his own, and instead to "make himself all things to all men" (1 Cor. 9:22; cf. AG § 24). It is the way of incarnation and sacrifice where a missionary should adapt himself to strange customs and changing circumstances (AG § 25). Therefore, he must bring with him an open mind and heart to men (AG § 25). In this line of thought, the missionary is a man of faith (AG §§ 23, 25), of zeal (AG § 25), of constancy, longanimity, meekness, courage and fortitude (AG. §§ 23–24), abounding with joy in tribulation (AG § 24).[5]
Unfortunately, missionary activity is not an easy task. To be honest, it is more successful when it is done among the people who embrace polytheism, traditional and animistic religions, or to religions that have lost all personal appeal to the hearts of the people.[6] Christianity can enter pretty much easily into this kind of circumstance. However, it has a very different story when mission is done among peoples and cultures rooted in the major world religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, etc. In this context, missionaries always faced formidable resistance because, for instance, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims are also claiming that their message too, like that of Christianity, has a universal relevance.[7] Just like Christianity, they also want to expand vastly all around the globe.
Because of this context, it is crucial that the missionary must undergo such preparation, as explained by Kaufman in his article. The missionary vocation urges us to go deeply into the study of non-Christian cultures and religions. It is an obvious message for missionaries to always be prepared for an encounter with people from other religions and cultures. Eventually, as Kaufman highlights in his article, a missionary must know the cultural and religious life, the national and religious traditions, and the spiritual values and riches of the people they are to evangelize (AG §§ 8, 9, 11, 26, 34) so as to be able to purify, elevate and perfect the values existing among non-Christians (LG § 17; AG § 9).[8]
Missionary as a Man of Prayer
Looking at this description of a missionary found in the Church’s Documents, I once again ask, “What is “missionary” that you are mindful of him?” A missionary is just like other human beings found in Psalm 8: either enos, a weak human being, or, to be in poor health; or ben-adam, a son of man or, mortal or, son of the one formed from the ground. Yet, God calls them to carry out such a great mission to bring salvation to all creatures. A missionary is a sinner but called and chosen by God to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19).
Besides, I believe that only within the relationship with God who calls them to continue the mission of His Son, Jesus Christ, do they know the identity of a missionary. As Pope John Paul II ever said, “mission derives not only from the Lord’s mandate, but also from the profound demands of God's life within us.” [9] The missionary should be a man of prayer (AG 25), in which he experiences a serene relationship with God who calls him. Therefore, in the same tune with this line, as a missionary, I agree to cultivate a more contemplative life while carrying out a great task of evangelization. A committed life of prayer and contemplation is very fundamental for a missionary. Just like the psalmist, the missionary must also act in constant union with God from whom he incessantly draws inspiration[10] because prayer is the principal activity of the missionary. It sustains his fidelity and his apostolic commitment. Since the missionary works for the salvation of people, prayer will thus help him to avoid the risk of running around aimlessly within the vastness of the mission field, such as an encounter with other new cultures, religions, and other novelties he may face.
Like the psalmist who, through a contemplative eye, finally finds himself as a little one in the middle of huge cosmic reality yet loved by his God, a missionary should also have a capacity to contemplate the presence of God who calls and sends him to the huge mission field. Otherwise, he will just go on a mission without any purpose. If a missionary does not have a living faith that sees, seeks, and loves God in everything, he will fall into a great desolation of mourning. Instead of praising God saying, “O Lord, our Lord, how awesome is your name through all the earth,” a missionary will always complain about his missionary projects that seem to have no fruit.
A missionary's work has another level of achievement. It is not a matter of physical consolation, but rather a spiritual one because he is working for the salvation of people. It is not visible because the Spirit is in charge of changing the hearts of people to whom a missionary is sent. So, in order to not run aimlessly, a missionary should have contemplative eyes to witness the work of God through and within himself and his missionary activities. As my last word, contemplation will eventually help us to realize that we need God in our lives and mission; and likewise, God needs the missionaries to continue his work of salvation here on earth.
Source(s):
[1] In the following, the Church Document will be in abbreviation, such as AG, LG, PO, etc.
[2] Leonard Kaufmann, “Vatican Ii and the Training of Missionaries,” Heythrop Journal 8, no. 4 (1967): 402. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdah&AN=ATLAiREM200331001224&site=ehost-live (accessed November 11, 2023).
[3] Kaufmann, 402.
[4] Kaufmann, 402.
[5] Kaufman, 402.
[6] Daniel Acharuparambil, OCD, “St. Therese of Lisieux and the Missionary Role of the Contemplatives.” Teresianum 47, no. 2 (1996.): 417. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdah&AN=ATLAiFZK190128000273&site=ehost-live (accessed November 11, 2023).
[7] Acharuparambil, 417.
[8] Kaufman, 401.
[9] Acharuparambil, 416.
[10] Constitutions and General Rule of the Xaverian Missionaries, no. 42.