Through the baptismal seal, one wears the character of a Christian; which includes him/her into that set of people specially called by Christ to carry out a fundamental task- the task of preaching Christ to people. Christians by the virtue of their calling have the fundamental task of spreading the Word of God to the ends of the earth as commanded by Christ when he told them to go into the world and teach people everything he has taught them (cf. Matthew 10:7, 28:16-20 and Mark 16:15-18). With this injunction received from Christ, every Christian is called not only to follow Christ but also to spread Christ to all the ends of earth.
Consequently
because of the nature of this message which is divinely given, the Christians
are charged with the duty of being faithful to this mission wherever they find
themselves and in whatever they do in the human society. This faithfulness is
fully expressed in the Christians’ spread of the Gospel not only by words but
also by deeds, so that they may become examples of such teachings. Through
these means, the spread of the Gospel will bear fruit in the lives of those who
receive it and being constantly encouraged by the way and manner the message is
lived out, they will accept it with a firm heart.
The mission of Christ is essentially to
bring Christ to the people by teaching people the examples Christ
has left behind so that through them, people can come to know God, believe in
him, love him, serve him and be with him in the life of the world to come.
Hence, there are many ways Christ is brought to people in this task of
evangelism. Evangelisation is done through preaching of the Word, teaching and
instructing, caring out good works of charity, leading a good life and so many
other ways through which Christ could be brought to the people.
The
enormity and demand of the mission of Christ make some people feel that
carrying out this mission faithfully remains not just very difficult but
impossible. Hence, they are weakened in the spirit to carry out this mission entrusted
to each Christian. Some people have out of fear and other human elements
relaxed in this mission; for they conceive that this Divine Mission cannot be
faithfully carried out by mere mortals.
However,
many facts abound to refute this claim and assertions of such which shows that
many people recognised and unrecognised have remained faithful to the work of
Evangelisation from the various professions and social statutes. These people
are those who have sought the assistance of God and got it in order to spread
the message entrusted to them by God. They have laid simple examples in the way
they lived their lives serving the mission of evangelisation and today they are
already in heaven specially prepared for all those who remain faithful to the
mission. They are Heroes and heroines of Christ. They are Heroes and Heroines of
Christ because they lived their lives as sacrifices for the Gospel of Christ.
In
the area of Preaching the word of God, we can never forget the Glorious Princes
of the Church Sts. Peter and Paul who gave their lives for the Gospel. Some of
their preachings became parts of the Bible. They travelled far places just to
bring to people the Knowledge of Christ and they converted many people for
Christ. They remained fearless in the face of severe persecutions and were
contented with giving up their lives for the Gospel as Peter was crucified
downwards while Paul was beheaded, all in the time of Emperor Nero.
As a
Priest, St John Mary Vianney was very committed to his work and ministry.
Subjecting himself to many forms of penance and mortification, he did penance
for the conversion people he preached to so that they may accept the Gospel of
Christ he brought to them. The most famous work he did in his life was the
spiritual direction of souls he did in the confessional; the highest point of
which was to spend several hours up to 16 hours a day irrespective of the
weather. For him, when it comes to bringing people close to Christ, nothing
human should come between it.
When
it comes to the practice of charity as a way of evangelising people, we have
the famous St Vincent De Paul and Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta. The
missionary spirit of Charity in St Vincent De Paul was expressed in his care
for the poor and those in need. In the various opportunities he had, he not
only advocated for care of the poor, but also carried it out practically. Because
of this commitment to helping the poor, people take him to be St
Vincent De Poor. For Mother of Theresa of Calcutta, she was never
ashamed of begging for the poor. She took upon herself the mission of going
around seeking material assistance for the poor. Her care for the poor was
practical and despite many difficulties and assaults, she was steadfast in her
mission.
When
it comes to preaching Christ in Public Office, the Church will never forget the
likes of Bishop John Fisher and Lord Chancellor Thomas More. Both of them
rejected the plan of King Henry VIII to make England a separate and sovereign
Church upon the Church’s rejection of his attempt to take another wife. Due to
their opposition to the King’s desire, they were imprisoned and killed. Pope
John Paul II proclaimed St. Thomas More Patron of Political Leaders.
The
message of Christ can be preached through learning and teaching. In this regard
we find the Scholastics St Augustine, St Anselm, St Aquinas, St Bonaventure,
etc, who used their learning to preach the Gospel of Christ as they defended
the Doctrines and teachings of the Church.
How
many of us can sacrifice our lives for a fellow just like Christ did for
mankind? But here is St Maximilian Kolbe who gave his life for the freedom of a
family man upon whom the family depended for survival. During the Nazi regime,
he substituted the man who wanted to be executed by the soldier because he
better dies than for a family man to die upon whom the family depended on. What
a heroic sacrifice?
The
litany of these Heroes and Heroines of Christ remains very long; for it cuts
across professions and social statutes. The mothers forever have the humble and
praying St Monica to imitate. The youths have the chaste Maria Gorreti, Lucy,
etc to imitate. The very young people will always have St Dominic Savio to
imitate. This young gentleman decided during his life time to go for
confessions every week and attend morning masses daily despite the distance and
weather conditions. The missionaries will ever have St Francis of Assisi to
imitate when it comes to embracing evangelical poverty. What about the First
Martyrs of the Church of Rome and those of Uganda in Africa who were killed
just because they preached Christ? The list continues.
What
impact has these people on us? Public Officers today prefer their offices and
its enjoyments more than the truth. Hence, they not only compromise justice but
also shy away from condemning it. But here is St Thomas More who relinquished
the worldly office for the sake of the truth. What about missionaries who are
interested in their material gains than the mission? Here is St Francis of
Assisi to look upon who abandoned his material possessions and was more
concerned with his mission. What about those academicians who fight the Church
with their God-given intelligence? Here are the Scholastic Fathers to imitate
in defence of the Church instead of the contrary. What about the wealthy in the
society who find it difficult to help the poor and those around? St Vincent De
Paul and Mother Theresa of Calcutta will be perfect examples for them so that
they will practically show concern for the poor in the society.
For
mothers at home who find it difficult to tolerate their “erring” husbands and
children, the humble and ever praying St Monica remains an example to follow.
For the youths and all those who find chastity very difficult to maintain, we
have the chaste Lucy and Maria Gorretti to imitate. For the young people who
are shrinking from being close to Christ, the Young St. Dominic Savio is there
as an example- a young teenager who vowed to attend masses daily and receive
the sacrament of penance weekly. Some people find it difficult to be of help to
others in any form required. The ever-sacrificial St Maximilian of Kolbe is a
good example in making painful sacrifices for the good of others.
The
lives of the Saints reveal the creative force that lies in religion and shows
how much it can be achieved despite human weaknesses and imperfections. It
indicates how the Church and the faith have again and again demonstrated an
indestructible vitality in the face of the most difficult times, powerful
opponents and apparently insurmountable obstacles. The serenity of their lives
contrasts strongly with the often depressing background of their contemporary
secular history. (Saint Companions for each day by A.J. M. and J.K. Mausolfe)
These
Heroes and heroines are drawn from all walks of life. There is no single
profession or vocational path in life which cannot find its pattern among the
galaxy of the saints. The saints are part of our family tree-our ancestors.
Each of us can have a spiritual family tree, and what is more, we could choose
our own individual favourites, those that march our ideals or suit our goals.
One
unique thing about these saints is that they were human beings like us. They
were Enthusiastic about Christ. They loved Christ, loved his message and were
ready to sacrifice anything for its sake. They knew quite well that they cannot
do it on their own. They knew that they are mere mortals. And so they never
hesitated to ask for the graces which Christ offers to all. Hence, it becomes
very amazing to see in how many utterly different ways one can lead a saintly
life, and what great things even one single God-Loving soul can achieve with
the aid of grace.
In
line with St John Chrysostom, these saints are mirrors to us and they will
encourage us to serve Christ in the way they have done and even better than
them. The heroes and heroines of Christ are models for us in our mission of
Evangelisation. They have carried out this mission differently and as such have
become lights that illumine our paths in this task. They were committed and
never allowed the troubles and pleasures of the world to set them back. More
significantly, they were ever making significant effort when they felled in
some occasions. Why not imitate them especially the Patron Saints?
Thus,
as every Christian is called to this mission of preaching Christ, it must be
proclaimed by words and deeds. In the midst of challenges experienced in this
venture, our models remain sources of encouragement to us. All of us in
whatever profession and social status we belong must preach Christ in the way
and manner our models have done in line with the trend of our time. The Aged,
Adults, Young people and children must evangelise the world in our respective
professions. Just as we imitate these heroes and heroines, let us know that we could
be one as well. It all depends on how we have carried out the mission
entrusted to us in the human society. These heroes and heroines did theirs
extraordinarily and in this manner can we be like them in faithfully carrying
out the mission of evangelisation to the ends of the earth.
Nwanyanwu
Christopher
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