Thursday 16 February 2017

Joseph and Mary – Model for Missionaries


          Two simple young people of faith from an interior village began their journey, having trust and faith in God and listening to His commands moving from place to place without worrying about their basics of life, without selfishness, without even caring for the health, weather that is day or night, cold or heat, hills or fields. They began their journey courageously placing all their trust in God. Their journey brought the Saviour to the world. They became the great cause for the salvation of the world. Their journey was a successful one. This is the simple story of Joseph and Mary from Nazareth.

         Though Jesus initiates and gives the authority to his apostles to proclaim the kingdom of God, but it is His parents Mary and Joseph who were the real missionaries of Christ who lived more than expectation of Missionary life and gives inspiration to each and every one of us the zeal and missionary spirit to proclaim Christ to the world. Joseph and Mary are the real missionaries of Christ for they brought Christ to the world. They gave Christ to the other. This is the real task of a missionary. It is every Christian’s duty to give Christ to the other. The primary and most important responsibility of every Christian Missionary is to give Christ to the other. Joseph and Mary impress and inspire every one of us to be Christ’s Missionaries and to share in their joy of being missionaries of Christ.

         Three qualities to learn from Mary and Joseph to be the Missionaries of Christ: The first and most important quality Jesus and Mary asks us to imitate to be a Missionary of Christ is: To have complete faith and trust in God. "I can do nothing on my own initiative as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of Him who sent me.” Jn 5:30. A trust that is of child. A faith that, with God nothing is impossible. To submit oneself totally to the Lord as Joseph and Mary did. Through this we give our obedience to God as Mary and Joseph accepted the will of God in their life. We not only obey but we completely depend on God for what so happens in our life. The total surrender which helps one to go ahead with the grace of God.
The second quality to be a Missionary of Christ as Joseph and Mary is: To be Courageous. They were daring enough to fight any kind of challenge they are going to face in their journey to and from Egypt. Though they knew that they will be in trouble, but still they were courageous to go ahead to bring Christ to the other.

          The third quality to be a Missionary of Christ as Joseph and Mary is: To be Humble. Let us give ourselves wholly that we may understand his ways in our life as Joseph and Mary humbly obeyed the will of God in their lives. Let us be humble to accept all that comes to our life in this beautiful missionary journey we are going to travel as Joseph and Mary did.
Dear friends, having trust and faith, being courageous and humble will surely make us to live a good missionary life for Christ. Let us also join together in the joy of Joseph and Mary to give Christ to the other, to be his great witnesses, to be his bearers of love, peace and joy to whom so ever we meet. Let us be proud to be called as His missionaries, disciples, and workers in His great harvest of Love.


P.V. Joseph

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