The Gift of Mission

In the East Asian Pastoral Review vol. 44 Fr. James H. Kroeger M.M. had an article The Gift of Mission in which he asks , why mission? What ends does mission really serve? The bishops of Asia have grappled with these questions for years. There are over 4 billion people in Asia and only 3 percent Christian. It is an important question. The bishops have collectively asserted: "We evangelize , first of all, from a deep sense of gratitude to God the Father who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3). Mission is above all else an overflow of this life from grateful hearts transformed by the grace of God."


He mentioned that it is probably the experience of giving and receiving gifts in Asia that prompted this response on the part of the bishops. He then presents in the "Asian" reflection
three interrelated moments of what might be termed "gift of missiology." Three "R" words capture mission as gift. Recognise, Receive, and Reciprocate. We have to recognize the uniqueness of God's gift. Receive it by personally appropriating God's gift. Reciprocate by sharing God's gift with others.

Mathew 10:8 succinctly captured this in: "What you have received as a gift, give as a gift"
"Without a personal experience of this life received as gift and mercy, no sense of mission can flourish."

It is possibly the lack of this personal experience of having received a gift that makes for the poor showing of our many Catholics at the Sunday Mass and the absence of desire for fellowship with Jesus and our fellow disciples.