Servants of the Lord & the Virgin of Matará
Catholic CUlture
Missionary Spirituality
In the heart of the church
In the fullness of time God sent forth His Son that all peoples might be saved through Christ. The Messianic Savior promised to the Jews was also destined to be the light and salvation of the Gentiles. It is this mystery that we celebrate at Epiphany, how the Father, who had previously spoken only to the Chosen People of Israel, now invites the whole world to come see His face and know His tender love in the person of the Divine Infant. In the Three Wise Men we see the most fitting response to such generosity from God: they obey the beckoning of the star and undertake an arduous journey in order to adore the King of Creation and to offer Him gifts in gratitude.
“Let us give thanks to the merciful God, who has made us worthy to share the lot of the saints in light, who has rescued us from the power of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.”
— Col. 1:12
A Spirit of Graditude
We Christians today are receivers of the same superabundance of love which first moved God to call the Gentiles into His plan of salvation. In our faith we have been given the most precious of gifts: friendship with God. At every celebration of the Mass, Jesus Christ pours Himself out for us, and by giving Himself He gives us everything. What greater or more sublime things could we possibly ask for?
Like the Magi, our response should also be one of great adoration and gratitude. To receive such a gift should move our hearts with the urgent desire to share what we have received with others. As God has been generous in calling us to Himself, let us also never hesitate to share this joy with our brothers and sisters.
Jesus asked his followers to make disciples of all nations and to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth. Let us show our gratitude for what we have received by praying and sacrificing for the missionary work of the Church. Let us show how much we value the gift of our faith by earnestly seeking to share it with the world. Let us never stop imploring the Father to send forth His Holy Spirit throughout the Church so that she may be an authentic witness to Christ’s love for all nations.
Our Call to Pray for Missions
Mission Education
Knowing the Needs of the Universal Church
In order to support the missionary work in your prayers, you must first know about the needs and intentions of the different missions.
Fides: This official site provides online access to the most current information of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Active since 1927, www.fides.org remains a frontline source of Catholic news from the most difficult areas of the world.
The Pontifical Mission Societies: This is the official site for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States, but it contains links to other Mission Societies along with international mission information and ways to support the missions. Click on this page to learn about the history of this important Society founded by the heroic laywoman, Pauline-Marie Jaricot (1799-1862), a friend of the Cure of Ars.
Aid to the Church in Need: Aid to the Church in Need is an organization dedicated to the promotion and support of the Church in places of great need. It was officially made a Pontifical Foundation in December 2011. Our mission in the Philippines was featured on their site last August. Thanks to the generosity of many donors, we have raised enough money to fund our project of creating a home for at-risk girls.
Religious Family Websites
IVE Missions International (English) (Spanish), the AdGentes Blog (Spanish), IVE in Iraq, IVE in Syria, IVE in Tanzania, and IVE in Papua New Guinea
Sharing in the Missions Around the World: Prayers, Works, Sacrifices
Missionary Rosary: Learn to pray the Missionary Rosary, started and propagated by Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen from this explanation on the official Vatican website.
Lay Missionary Service: To learn more about opportunities to serve as a lay missionary (on your own or with a group) see our Lay Missionary section
Visit www.ssvmonlus.org, a website in English, Spanish and Italian, dedicated to serving priority projects of our neediest missions. It also gives detailed provides updated news about the status of these projects and the work of our missionaries there.
The Mission and Consecrated Life
A large percentage of the missionary works of charity performed by the Church are run and staffed by men and women in consecrated life. Without the dedication of these workers of the harvest, the Church would not be able to reach and attend to the most desperate and far-flung souls. Please remember to pray for vocations to the Universal Church. A prayer for vocations is a prayer for the missions and the future of the Church.
