Introduction
The Church exists for mission. Every structure, ministry, sacrament, and form of pastoral care ultimately serves the mission entrusted to the Church by Christ: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15).
Yet mission is often misunderstood. It is frequently reduced to programmes, activities, outreach projects, or the communication of religious information. While these have their place, they do not reach the heart of the Christian understanding of mission.
Mission is fundamentally sharing with others what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. It is the communication of a life before it is the communication of an idea. It is not merely speaking about Jesus; it is allowing Jesus to become present to others through the lives of those who believe in him.
If this is true, then the formation of believers for mission becomes one of the most important responsibilities of the Church.
THE NATURE OF MISSION
Mission is Sharing What God Has Done for Us in Jesus
At the centre of Christianity stands God’s action in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, God has drawn humanity into a share in his own divine life. St Peter describes believers as those who have become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4). St Paul speaks of receiving “the Spirit of his Son” who cries within us, “Abba! Father!” (Gal 4:6; Rom 8:15-16). St John teaches that those who receive Christ are given power “to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). Mission begins with this mystery. We are not simply sharing doctrines, values, or ethical principles. We are sharing the life that God has given us through Christ.
Mission is the Very Nature of Christian Life
Christian discipleship is essentially missionary. God is light (1 Jn 1:5).
Jesus says: “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). Then he turns to his disciples and says: “You are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14). The light received must become light shared.
The Christian life is therefore not something that exists for itself. Every believer is called to become a living witness to what God has done in Christ. Mission is not one activity among many. It is the final goal of everything the Church does.
Mission is More Than Speaking About Jesus
Mission certainly involves proclaiming the Gospel with words. Yet words alone are never enough. The Christian mystery only exists concretely in persons. A marriage cannot be understood apart from two people living a particular relationship. In the same way, Christianity cannot be understood apart from people who are living a relationship with Jesus Christ.
People need more than explanations. They need encounters. Mission therefore means making present to others what God has done in us. Pope Francis expresses this simply: “We can bring the Gospel to others only if it has made a deep impact on our lives.” The believer becomes the message.
THE MISSIONARY DISCIPLE
The Believer Makes the Action Missionary
No action is missionary simply because of the action itself. The same activity may be deeply missionary in one person and merely humanitarian in another. What makes an action missionary is what the believer brings to it. Frederic Ozanam captured this insight:
“Our fundamental purpose is not to go out and help the poor. For us, this has only been a means. Our purpose is to maintain the Catholic faith within us and to allow its diffusion to others through the instrument of charity.” The action remains important, but the heart from which it flows is even more important. Mission begins within.
Every Act Is Potentially Missionary
Because mission depends on the believer, every action of a disciple has missionary potential. Work, family life, friendship, professional activity, parish ministry, acts of service, suffering patiently borne, forgiveness offered, kindness shown, all become opportunities through which Christ may become present to others. Mission is not restricted to organised programmes. The whole life of the believer can become mission.
The Deeper the Faith, the Greater the Mission
The effectiveness of mission is directly related to the believer’s relationship with Jesus. The more deeply a person shares the life of Christ, the more effectively Christ can work through them. St Paul writes: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20). Dom Chautard describes this beautifully: “Jesus becomes the superior principle which moves me to think, judge, love, will, suffer and work with him, in him, through him and like him.”
Mission is not ultimately our work. It is the work of Jesus through us. As Pope Francis reminds us: “Though it is true that this mission demands great generosity on our part, it would be wrong to see it as a heroic individual undertaking, for it is first and foremost the Lord’s work.” The missionary is effective not because of personal talent but because of personal union with Christ.
FORMATION FOR MISSION
Forming Lay People for Mission
If mission is the communication of Christ through believers, then formation for mission must focus first on the believer. The question is not merely: What should people do? The deeper question is: Who are they becoming?
Formation Must Focus on Relationship with Jesus
The centre of all formation is intimacy with Christ. Mission does not arise primarily from techniques or programmes. It arises from friendship with Jesus. The greater the intimacy with Christ, the more powerful the missionary presence.
Formation therefore must help believers:
- pray deeply,
- encounter Christ personally,
- live from the sacraments,
- develop a life of faith,
- cultivate a conscious relationship with Jesus.
Formation Must Focus on the Heart
Scripture teaches: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov 4:23). Jesus teaches that actions arise from the heart (Mk 7:20-23). The focus of formation therefore cannot simply be knowledge. Knowledge is important. But knowledge alone does not transform. The heart must be formed.
Believers need to learn:
- purity of intention,
- custody of the heart,
- discernment of motives,
- self-knowledge,
- conversion of life.
The missionary disciple is formed from within.
Formation Must Foster the Interior Life
Dom Chautard defines the interior life as:
“The state of activity of a soul which strives against its natural inclinations in order to regulate them, and endeavours to acquire the habit of judging and directing its movements in all things according to the light of the Gospel and the example of Our Lord.”
The interior life is not optional. It is the foundation of mission. Without it, activity becomes disconnected from Christ. With it, activity becomes an instrument through which Christ acts.
Formation Must Be Rooted in Prayer and Conversion
The Christian life may be compared to an arch. Prayer is the keystone. Transformation of life forms the supporting sides.
Both are essential. Prayer without conversion becomes sentimentality. Conversion without prayer becomes moralism. Together they produce mature disciples capable of mission.
Formation Must Be Rooted in Scripture
St Jerome’s famous saying remains true: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” Mission requires knowledge of Christ. Formation therefore should introduce believers not merely to Bible study but to prayerful engagement with Scripture through lectio divina and meditation. The goal is not information alone but transformation.
Formation Requires Commitment
Growth in faith is no easier than growth in any other area of life. It requires decision, perseverance, sacrifice, and commitment. No programme can substitute for the personal choice to become a mature disciple. Those being formed must want to be formed. Formation is always a cooperation with grace.
THE FUTURE
Mission and the Future of the Church
The Church today finds itself in a period of profound cultural change. The task before us is not simply to preserve past structures. It is to create new ways of embodying the Gospel within a changing culture. This demands mature believers. Many institutions have excellent structures, programmes, and personnel. Yet what ultimately makes a community, school, parish, agency, or institution Catholic is not merely its external works. It is the presence within it of believers whose lives are deeply shaped by Jesus Christ. A critical mass of mature disciples gives an institution its missionary power. Such people make Jesus present. Such people sustain communion. Such people evangelise naturally because they radiate the life they have received.
Conclusion
The future of mission does not depend primarily on better programmes. It depends on deeper disciples. Mission is sharing what God has done for us in Jesus. It is making present to others the divine life that has been given to us. The Church fulfils her mission not simply by speaking about Jesus but by becoming a living manifestation of his presence in the world.
The task of formation is therefore clear: to help believers become people through whom Christ can live, love, speak, and act. The more deeply believers share the life of Jesus, the more effectively they will share Jesus with others. Ultimately, mission is Christ continuing his work through those who belong to him. The Church’s greatest contribution to the world will always be holy men and women in whom the life of Christ shines brightly.
Mission is the communication of the life of Jesus through believers, and therefore formation for mission is fundamentally formation in holiness, prayer, and union with Christ rather than merely training in pastoral skills.
by David Walker