Living the missionary spirit

Sunday Mass at the parish of San Columbano in suburban Santiago, Chile. - Photo: St Columbans Mission SocietySunday Mass at the parish of San Columbano in suburban Santiago, Chile. - Photo: St Columbans Mission Society

How many times do we see and hear the suffering of others and do nothing?

It was a beautiful Sunday morning with blue skies in the Chilean capital of Santiago. I was with Columban Fr Dan Harding visiting some of the churches that make up his parish. The truth is I was not expecting anything special. How many times do we not expect anything in particular when we go to Mass? We often go to Mass each week just out of habit, without preparing our hearts to witness heaven on earth.

In the United States, I am used to arriving at Mass, then sitting in silence and waiting for the entrance hymn to begin. I know we should be silent and meditate, but after a while, this silence can seem cold and lonely, especially for those seeking a living God who dwells with his people. However, this is not always reflected in the community.

In my mind this was what I was expecting to find at Sunday Mass in Santiago. What a great surprise it was when we arrived at the church. There were people to greet me, to hug me and kiss me on the cheek. Not only that, they wanted to know my name and asked about my family.

During this warm welcome, someone was listing the prayer intentions of those arriving for Mass. If a person in the family was sick, then their name was added to the list for the Prayers of the Faithful. I was not accustomed to this.

As it was my first time at this church, I was introduced to many people. In conversation, they asked me about my family, my wife, my children, my parents and my brothers and sisters. The most surprising thing of all was when a woman asked me, “And you, how are you? How are you feeling? What would you like to receive from God today?”

No one had ever asked me this at Mass before.

The entrance hymn began and Fr Dan entered the church in procession. Even though the music was simple with only one guitar, each note was a prayer. People were united as they sang in thanksgiving to God.

Nevertheless, after a little while, something grabbed my attention. A baby just a few months old started to cry and did not stop. The mother, an immigrant from Haiti, took the baby outside to console her. As time passed, you could still hear the baby crying inconsolably. Then during the Eucharistic Prayer, I saw a woman go outside to see how the baby was. Was the baby hungry? Did the mother need milk for her child?

Clearly, this woman was living the Mass in action. How many times do we go to Mass and get upset with parents whose children are crying. We are not worried whether the child is well or not, but rather focus on our own distraction because of the crying child.

On that day, this did not happen! During the most solemn part of the Mass, this woman went to see whether this baby was okay and in this, I can say with certainty, that through her action, she was really living the Mass.

In the humility of this woman, I saw the face of God hearing the suffering of this Haitian woman and her baby, and responding to that suffering. She went to console a worried mother and to see whether she could help with this beautiful baby girl, who, it seemed, was hungry.

How many times do we hear the cry of suffering and do nothing? The spirit of this woman that went out to help the mother and baby is the spirit of mission, of service to others and of understanding the situation. God is present in the cry seeking help.

When I noticed this, I realised that this community was one with a missionary spirit. The parishioners did not come to Mass just to receive, but with the spirit of giving to all, no matter what they ask.

I also saw this missionary spirit during the Prayers of the Faithful. Fr Dan had asked the parishioners to pray in a loud voice for their needs and the needs of others. A woman alongside me prayed, “I pray for my neighbour who is sick in her home.” Almost everyone prayed for someone else. They also prayed for those who were absent, for whatever reason.

I would like to ask my parish community in the United States, “Am I aware when someone is absent from Sunday Mass and do I pray for them? When I greet someone at Mass, do I do it just out of habit or do I really want to know how that person is feeling?”

I thank God for allowing me to get to know the loving people of Chile.

Juan Carlos Garcia works in the Columban Hispanic ministry in the United States. He is editor of Misión Columbana, the Spanish language Columban magazine in the United States.

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