Homily outlines missionary steps

by NZ CATHOLIC staff
AUCKLAND — The parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Parnell, Msgr David Tonks, suggests three steps for being missionary.
In his homily for Sunday June 15, reflecting on Auckland diocese’s Fitness for Mission plan, Msgr Tonks said those steps could be:
1. Treasuring the Lord within us. We commit ourselves to prayer, reflection on the words and stories of Scripture, participation in the life of the faith community and living the joy of the Gospel. Our fitness level rises. The Spirit of the Lord grows in us and spills
from us.
2. Then we open our eyes and hearts to others. Many parishioners already do this in wonderful ways: supporting a bereaved friend through kindness and prayer; treating graciously a difficult work colleague; affirming others for the goodness you see in them.
3. Finally, we try to put our faith into words related to the particular person’s
situation. This final step may be the hardest, because it exposes our own faith, he
said. But if we believe we have found a treasure, don’t we want others to share it?
We tell others about a good restaurant or gym — surely we can share can even greater treasure: The Lord!

fb-share-icon
Posted in

NZ Catholic Staff

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *