We have a mission – “may the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere loved;” to be on earth the heart of God.
In every news broadcast we see and hear of a world marked by conflict, prejudice, racial and religious hatred, abuse, etc. As Missionaries of the Sacred Heart we have a way through. Our founder, Jules Chevalier msc, saw clearly that our Charism and our Spirituality is the answer to all the ills of our time.
More than ever, in our day, do we need a Spirituality of the heart; a spirituality of compassion, of love and of mission. Our constitutions, approved by our Universal Church, have given us a mandate:
• A mandate to ‘be like Jesus who loved with a human heart’
• A mandate to ‘lead others to God with kindness and gentleness’
• A mandate to ‘unite all to Jesus and to free them from fear’
• A mandate for ‘justice and concern for all, especially the very poor’.
For Jesus is our inspiration and driving force.
Unlike Franciscans who are named after Francis, or Dominicans who are named after Dominic, or Benedictines who are named after Benedict, or even Jesuits who follow Ignation Spirituality, we are Missionaries of the Sacred Heart… we are not missionaries of Jules Chevalier! Even he protested at the thought of even being called Missionaries of Issoudun – “let us simply say Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.” We believe that nothing beats this; it’s what the Gospels point to, it is what our constitutions point to, it is what our Lady of the Sacred Heart points to: all point to the heart of Jesus! Our focus, our mission is one and the same as Jesus – we want to be like him who loved with a human heart – for he is our inspiration and driving force.
Our mission therefore, in a way, is not to be priest, or brother, nor Lay MSC… our identity is not wrapped up in what we do but who we are… we are Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. If our priesthood was taken away, or our job or our title taken – who would you be? Our identity, our mandate, our life can only be lived out as one of many Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
In recent surveys held in the West there is again an interest in Religious life. Vocations will never be the same as they were in the 50’s and 60’s. But what these surveys reveal is that where “Religious institutes have a focused mission, live in community, and have regular prayer and sacramental life,” young people are attracted. We cannot think of any reason why a young man would not be interested in our life and our mission. We have, as Jules Chevalier rightly put it, the answer to all the ills of our time. There is nothing more attractive, more energising than our Spirituality. As we said, nothing else beats this – “it embraces everything; it is the answer to everything!” The Heart of Christ is the “centre on which everything in the Old and the New Testament converges.” Stated simply – to be like Jesus who loved with a human heart – for he is our inspiration and driving force.
So what is stopping us from living out this mandate? What is stopping us from inviting a young man to be part of this mission? Have we lost the sense of mission? Have we forgotten the original desire that drew us into Religious life? Have we lost that spark? Has the fire gone out of us? Where is the sense of risk, of courage, that missionary zeal? Have we become more interested in maintenance than mission? Have we just given up? For in times like these there is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer who’s given his life for mission.
On this feast of our foundation may we pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, give us the courage to enter into our own hearts, to be filled with your Spirit, to be free from our fears, to fully discern what you are asking of us, to proclaim and make real your love to the whole world, to give fully our lives and to risk… to be on earth the heart of God… for you are our inspiration and driving force!
Finally, as we draw closer to the end of the year, may we here in Rome wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.
“Christ is born; may he be born in our hearts. Mary bore him in her womb; may we bear him in our hearts. The Virgin became pregnant through the Spirit; may our souls be pregnant through faith in Christ. Our souls must bring forth God into the world.” [St Augustine]
“To be on earth the heart of God!”
Have a wonderful Christmas with every blessing for the New Year, with much love and support from all of us…
In His heart,
Mark McDonald, msc
Raphael Rodriguez, msc
Franciscus X Wahudi, msc
Carl Tranter, msc
Chris R McPhee, msc
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