From the Director

The Advent season is upon us. In the days and weeks of Advent we learn to wait for the coming of the Lord. In the first two weeks we direct our attention to the Second Coming of Christ so that we learn to wait in readiness to greet him when he comes again in glory. Advent invites us to take “the long view” and see our lives in terms of eternity.

From December 17th our focus shifts to immediate preparations for the celebration of the birth of Christ. What an awe-inspiring gift! Saint Pope Leo the Great wrote:

In the fullness of time, chosen in the unfathomable depths of God’s wisdom, the Son of God took for himself our common humanity in order to reconcile us with our Creator…so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing with joy and they proclaim peace to his people on earth as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world.

Indeed, Christ came for people of all nations. He is the One we are called to proclaim by the witness of our lives, our service to our brothers and sisters and our missionary evangelization.

There is no magic formula for engaging in missionary evangelization. It is simple and yet demanding. Through the Incarnation, Christ has shown us the way to evangelize: to give ourselves in selfless service to others, to do so with humility and respect and to do all we can to make Christ’s love visible so as to attract people to Christ. This will take a deliberate effort to engage the people of society and make known the truth and beauty of Christ, the fullest revelation of the Father. When we live in this way we will indeed be disciples of Christ engaged in the new evangelization.

May Emmanuel, God-with-us, be the source of our zeal and our joy in proclaiming Christ to the world.

A Blessed Christmas and New Year,

MISSION MATTERS

P o n t i f i c a l M i s s i o n S o c i e t i e s — O n e F a m i l y i n M i s s i o n a n d t h e O f f i c e f o r M i s s i o n E d u c a t i o n a n d A n i m a t i o n

o f t h e A r c h d i o c e s e o f C h i c a g o F o s t e r i n g t h e N e w E v a n g e l i z a t i o n

Volume 4 Issue 1 - December 2012

From Pope Benedict XVI

Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is always the center of procla-mation, the reference point for the journey and for the meth-odology of the mission of evangelization, because he is the human face of God who wants to meet every man and woman to allow them to enter into communion with God, into his love.

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Additional information can be found on our website www.wearemissionary.org - click on MCA!

Love of God and love of neighbor have become one: in the least of my brethren we find Jesus himself and in Jesus we find God. Pope Benedict XVI Advent is a time of waiting, hoping, preparing and celebrating the coming of Jesus, just as people long awaited the coming of a savior. Jesus, as much as he was anticipated, came into the world as an “unknown” and from that small stable in Bethlehem this unknown child became the mission for over two billion Christians today.

What if this Advent we stepped out of our comfort zones and concentrated on making the unknown, known in our lives. Instead of being caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas prepara-tion for our own, what if we took time to reflect on the great gift of the mission of Jesus and shared it with the unknown, the unwel-come, the unnoticed. What if we connected with the poor, the sick, the battered, the homeless or the refugee? What if we made a real connection with those unknown in today’s world? A connection could be made through prayer, kind words, support or even time to sit and chat. Consider making the Advent season the beginning of a year of reaching out, being on mission and connecting with the “unknown” as Jesus did.

As Coordinator for the Missionary Childhood Association (formerly known as the Holy Childhood Association) much of my role is making connections with children. Recently HCA changed its name to MCA to better focus on the importance of mission with our children today. This change re-emphasizes the need for children to get involved, to make connections and get to know and help their brothers and sisters in God’s family. With the unfolding of MCA we also began a mission connection between classes of students in the Chicago Archdiocesan Schools and MCA supported schools in Cusco, Peru. Our con-nection began with children becoming prayer partners with one another, setting aside time each day to pray for their new found brother/sister. The next step is getting to know one an-other through letter writing, exchanging pictures and, with luck, even some “Skype” time to become better acquainted. Begin-

ning this venture has been a true gift for our children as they reach out and connect to our global family.

Join our children. Look for the unknown. Reach out. Connect. Share the mission of the “unknown” child born in a stable over 2000 years ago. May that divine missionary, Jesus Christ, bring peace, joy and guidance to your hearts this blessed season. Maureen Colin Associate Director, Office for Mission Animation and Education and MCA Coordinator

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Listen to Sr. Madge LIVE! on Relevant Radio 950AM the Third Thursday of each month 09:30am-10:00am (CST)

Or via your computer at

WeAreMissionary.org/relevant-radio

Because Every Heart Without Christ Is A Mission Field (The following is a homily given on World Mission Sunday 2012 by Fr. Sergius Wroblewski, OFM )

Every year on the second to last Sunday, the whole Church, not just this diocese, celebrates World Mission Day. Back in 1926 Pope Pius XI set aside that Sunday as Mission Sunday so that all would pray for the missions. We are reminded that we have the responsibility as Catholic Christians not only to pray for the missions but we ourselves are to be missionary and share the faith with others. The Vatican document, The Decree on Missionary Activity, has this to say to us “all the faithful are duty bound to cooperate in the expansion and spreading of Christ’s Body. Christ’s Body is the Church and we are to build it up and expand it.”

Most of us have the impression, I think, that being missionary means going to some other country. Well, there are a good many who do that. I was one of them. In 1984 at the age of 66 I went to South Africa to teach and preach and did so for 20 years. At the beginning I was a chaplain to 120 Zulu Sisters. I would preach to them in Zulu; a blind sister would translate the homily for me into Zulu, and I would deliver it in Zulu. To be on mission, however, it is not necessary to go to a foreign land.

We are called to share the faith with those around us. There are so many people who have lost their faith; you’ll find them among your own friends and relatives. Be missionary to them. Because every heart without Christ, is a mission field and every heart with Christ is a missionary.

That is really the purpose of the Year of Faith. The Holy Father wants us to know our faith and be able to on go mission. On Oct 11, the Year of Faith began and will last until the Feast of Christ the King in 2013. Why did the Holy Father initiate the Year of Faith?

The Holy Father said that as soon as he became Pope he had a goal, and that was to revive the faith of those who had lost it or who may still practice it without any enthusiasm. He wants every Catholic to be missionary. So he proposed that Catholics fan the flame of zeal by the study of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Such a study can occasion a conversion, a turning to Christ, and a commitment to share Him with others. Only those who know their faith and are enthusiastic about it can radiate the Gospel truth.

But even if you are not well informed about your faith and are not ready to share it, you can support it by prayer and sacrifice. For instance, pray the Rosary every day or at least a decade, I have a mission rosary; the different colors represent different continents. The Pontifical Mission Societies have them in your diocese. Contact them to get one.

And sacrifice: offer everything you do for love of Christ. And if you suffer, offer that, joining it to the Sacrifice of Christ.

What is the most powerful motive for going on mission? Isaiah gave the answer in chapter 53, “He (gave) His life as an offering for sin”. No greater love can be imagined than for the Son of God to do that. St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the patroness of Missions was moved by Jesus’ sacrifice. One day in chapel she opened her office book and a holy picture dropped out, showing Jesus on the Cross and the blood flowing drop by drop. She was so moved she said, I will sacrifice for the missions so that not a drop of His blood is wasted.” May we be so moved to do the same.

Let us celebrate the World Mission Sunday by renewing our commitment to be on mission. Remember: every heart without Christ is a mission field; and every heart with Christ is a missionary.

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Edwin Rondán Coordinator for Hispanic Mission Education

El Amor Regalo Para La Navidad El Amor es la definición de Dios – Dios es Amor. Es este Amor que se encarnó en Jesús hace dos mil años y vino a traernos un mensaje esperanzador. Si deseamos conocer más concretamente el Amor de Dios; todo lo que tenemos que hacer es estudiar la vida ministerial de Jesús de Nazaret.

El Amor que existía desde la eternidad se manifestó humanamente en la persona de Jesús, quien estuvo en misión entre nosotros y continúa en misión hoy en medio de la humanidad. Por medio de nuestro bautizo somos misioneros y misioneras enviados a vivir y por ende a anunciar el Evangelio en nuestra sociedad. Por eso, acoger la Navidad requiere acoger de verdad el mensaje que vino a traernos el Redentor: “ámense unos a otros como los he amado Yo” (Jn. 15:12).

Por consiguiente, seguir a Jesús es asumir su camino, el camino de la encarnación en los retos y desafíos de nuestra sociedad. Por eso, celebrar la Navidad no es sólo un recuerdo, es trabajar dentro de nuestra sociedad y nuestras circunstancias para que la dignidad de hombres y mujeres sea respetada, para que tengamos condiciones dignas de vida, y por hacer de nuestra sociedad un lugar más acorde al sueño de Dios que es el mismo Amor.

En Jesús Misionero del Padre les deseo, ¡FELIZ NAVIDAD Y UN PROSPERO AÑO NUEVO!

Ashley Collins Social Media Coordinator

We Are The New Christmas Messengers Consider it God’s first tweet announcing the birth of Jesus: “Today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (Luke 2:11) It wasn’t sent through the popular website but rather through His messengers, His angels. The message was sent to shepherds out guarding their

flock; everyday people doing their everyday jobs. However, this message of a savior’s birth not only changed their lives, it offered hope for a world in need of redemption.

This incredible message of hope and salvation, of Joy in the fact that God became Man, is just as relevant, just as exciting today! We’re also called to proclaim this message to the world just as the angels did that Christmas night! While we can’t hover in the sky and sing in great myriads of choirs, we do have incredible tools at our disposal to reach many people with this Christmas message: Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube, and other social media outlets!

This Advent and Christmas try to find ways to share the message of Christ’s birth through links, videos, pictures, and status updates. It doesn’t have to be something you always talk about but be sure that your friends and followers know how important the message and story of Christmas is to you. It’s more than about presents, travelling, and even more than being together with loved ones, it’s about rejoicing in the fact that Jesus:

“Who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” (Phil. 2:6-8)

During these Advent and Christmas seasons be like the angels delivering the good news to the world; be the New Christmas Messengers and live out your call to mission with your online life by using your social media profiles to spread the “reason for the season” - Christ becoming man.

Have a blessed Advent and a Joyus Christmas!

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Ni e z w y k l e w a ż n y m okresem w Kościele katolickim jest Adwent, który jest początkiem nowego roku liturgicznego, a z a r a z em c z a s em radosnego oczekiwania na przyjście Zbawiciela. Słowo „adwent” pochodzi od

łacińskiego „adventus” i oznacza „przyjście”. Już w Starym Testamencie Prorok Izajasz, zapowiada przyjście Mesjasza: „Albowiem Dziecię nam się narodziło, Syn został nam dany, na Jego barkach spoczęła władz. (...) Bóg mocny, Odwieczny Ojciec, Książe Pokoju”. (Iz 9,5). Bóg przychodzi do każdego z nas jako Ten który jest „Bogiem pokoju a nie udręczenia.” (1 Kor 14,33).

W tym wyją tkowym czas ie, k iedy przygotowujemy się do obchodów pamiątki Bożego Narodzenia czyli pierwszego przyjścia Syna Bożego w ludzkiej naturze musimy zwrócić uwagę na tych, którzy szukają Boga. Niech okres Adwentu będzie czasem, w którym Chrystus poprzez swoja miłość ogarnie każdego z nas. Błogosławiony Jan Paweł II w encyklice Redemptoris Missio pisze: „Liczba tych ludzi, którzy nie znają Chrystusa i nie należą do Kościoła, stale wzrasta, a od zakończenia Soboru

A dzisiaj czemu wśród ludzi, tyle łez, jęków, katuszy? Bo nie ma miejsca dla Ciebie w niejednej człowieczej duszy...

Continued on p.6

Watykańskiego II niemal się podwoiła. Dla tej ogromnej liczby ludzi umiłowanych przez Ojca, który dla nich zesłał swego Syna, oczywista jest nagląca potrzeba misji". Papież wielokrotnie podkreślał, że misje bardzo mocno leżą mu na sercu. Nawet, jeśli Dobra Nowina, zawarta w Piśmie Świętym jest wielu ludziom obca to i tak musimy być misjonarzami Chrystusa. Święty Paweł sam nas do tego zachęca: „Bądźcie naśladowcami moimi, jak i ja jestem naśladowcą Chrystusa" (1Kor 11,1). Musimy zdać sobie sprawę, ze Adwent pomaga nam zobaczyć Jezusa Chrystusa nieustannie: w słowie Bożym, Eucharystii, modlitwie, drugim człowieku, ale aby tego doświadczyć musimy zwolnić zastanowić się nad swoim życiem.

W okresie Adwentu, który nie jest tylko przygotowaniem do Bożego Narodzenia, ale także przygotowaniem na ostateczne przyjście Chrystusa w chwale na końcu dziejów musimy usłyszeć wezwanie Chrystusa do czujności: „Czuwajcie (…) bo nie wiecie, w którym dniu Pan wasz przyjdzie (…) bądźcie gotowi, bo w chwili, w której się nie domyślacie, Syn Człowieczy przyjdzie (Mt 24, 42.44). Papież Benedykt XVI w Adhortacji Apostolskiej Verbum Domini pisze: „nasze czasy powinny być coraz bardziej czasami słuchania na nowo Słowa Bożego oraz nowej ewangelizacji”(n. 122). Nowa ewangelizacja nie oznacza głoszenia „nowej Ewangelii”, ale jest wyzwaniem, aby w sposób konkretny głosić, że Chrystus jest jedynym pośrednikiem miedzy Bogiem a ludźmi.

Okres Adwentu, powinien być dla każdego z nas czasem odnowy, w którym powinniśmy się skoncentrować wokół osoby Jezusa Chrystusa i Jego zbawczej misji odkupienia ludzkości. To właśnie w tym czasie powinniśmy usłyszeć glos Boga, który „ dla nas i dla naszego zbawienia” stał się prawdziwym człowiekiem. Bądźmy misjonarzami dla tych, którzy odeszli od Kościoła i na nowo poszukują Boga. Człowiek, którzy szuka łączności z Bogiem potrzebuje naszej pomocy. Adwent, jest wiec najlepszym czasem, kiedy możemy przygotować się na spotkanie z Panem. Niech Jego miłość, jest

MMASSASS IINTENTIONSNTENTIONS AREARE NNEEDEDEEDED!!

In many developing countries the only source of income for many priests is

Mass Intentions. They not only use them for their needs, but often for the needs of people or projects in their parishes.

Mass Intentions are $5.00.

Visit our website www.WeAreMiss ionary .org and click Donate or call us at

(312) 534-3322 to show your support!

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Pontifical Mission Societies—One Family in Mission and the Office for Mission Education and Animation of the Archdiocese of Chicago

Office for Mission Education and Animation: Fostering the New Evangelization Cardinal Meyer Center 3525 S. Lake Park Ave. Chicago, IL 60653-1402

Phone: 312-534-3322 Fax: 312-534-1599 E-mail: missions@archchicago.org Website: www.WeAreMissionary.org

@OMEAChicago

A dzisiaj czemu wśród ludzi (Continued from page 5) światłem, które rozprasza ciemność i pozwala nam pojąć sens i wartość naszego istnienia. Jan Paweł II w „Ecclesia in Europa" pisze: „Wielu ludzi nie potrafi już łączyć ewangelicznego przesłania z codziennym doświadczeniem; wzrasta trudność przeżywania osobistej wiary w Jezusa w takim kontekście społecznym i kulturowym, w którym chrześcijańska koncepcja życia jest stale wystawiana na próbę i zagrożona." (nr 7).

Przeżywając Uroczystość Narodzenia Pańskiego, pozwólmy wziąć się za rękę Dziecięciu z Betlejem, byśmy i my zbliżyli się do Niego. Przygotujmy się do spotkania z Jezusem, ponieważ Chrystus pragnie zamieszkać w sercu każdego z nas. Dzielmy się wiarą, nadzieją i miłością z tymi, którzy szukają Jezusa. Niech okres Bożego Narodzenia będzie czasem dziękczynienia Bogu za Jego nieskończone miłosierdzie „Tak bowiem Bóg umiłował świat, że Syna swego Jednorodzonego dał, aby każdy, kto w Niego wierzy, nie zginął, ale miał życie wieczne." (J 3, 16).

W tym Dzieciątku Bóg przybywa do każdego z nas. W tak wyjątkowym czasie nie zapominajmy o tych, którzy są samotni albo żyją w niedostatku. Uczmy się odpowiedzialności za losy każdego człowieka i za każde ludzkie życie. Skierujmy nasz wzrok na tych, którzy są daleko i nigdy nie słyszeli o Jezusie. Niech ogień miłości Bożej rozpala nasze serca, do głoszenia Radosnej Nowiny tym, którzy nie natrafi w swoim życiu na tajemnicę Boga.

Anna Dudek Coordinator for Polish Mission Education