Joy – The Fruit of Mission

The Gospel confirms an experience that we who have gone out on mission and evangelized in the name of Jesus have lived: the fruit of mission is joy.

We have been witnesses to the effectiveness of the Word of God, which transforms, converts, heals, and enlightens people so that they may live a full life with Jesus. As missionaries, we always have a deep desire to return to mission, to proclaim the joy of the Gospel and to announce the joy of encountering Jesus.

But the Gospel tells us that the disciples experienced complete joy when they returned to Jesus. Returning to Jesus is essential for every baptized person and every missionary: this is the secret of the joy of the Gospel and of the joy of evangelization. The source of this joy is Jesus and his message of life.

When we forget that the mission belongs to Jesus and make ourselves the protagonists of the mission, we become incapable of experiencing the joy of the Gospel. Instead, we become bitter, aggressive, and even selfish; and rather than bringing people closer to Jesus, we drive them away from Him.

It is essential to return to Jesus, to give Him an account of the mission He has entrusted to us, and to recognize that the mission belongs to Him. He is the one who acts in people’s hearts, transforming them, healing them, and filling them with joy.

Let us conclude this week filled with joy, recognizing that we are not carrying out our own mission or pursuing our own project, but participating in and cooperating with God’s great plan for humanity. Jesus is the protagonist of the mission and the source of our joy.

Let us always remember number one of Evangelii gaudium, Pope Francis’ first apostolic exhortation: “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.”

Fr. Fernando González Galarza, MCCJ