While most people believe that being a missionary means going to a faraway land, preaching the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and being a missionary does not always mean going away. One can be a missionary at home, using the gifts God has given to bring Christ to one another.
In this time of social distancing and quarantine, here are ways to be a missionary right from your own home:
Pray. Set time every day to have a personal conversation with God. Throughout the day, stop and talk to Jesus. Simply say a Hail Mary, an Our Father or even the prayer the angel taught the children in Fatima: “My God I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you! I ask pardon of you for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love you!” These little prayers will draw our hearts and minds closer to God.
Bring love and joy to the family. Spend time with your spouse, parents, brothers and sisters, if not face-t0-face, then through Face Time, skype or other social media. When possible, pray together, eat meals together, play games together, laugh together. Jesus said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20) Imitate the Holy Family.
Sanctify and make holy the work that God has given each of us. All that we do throughout the day at home - work, schoolwork, chores, games, etc. - can be done with love and offered to God. St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “Do small things with great love.” Small things can bring us closer to God and can help make us saints.
(Sister Mariam Annai Vailankanni D’Souza, a member of the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara, serves in the Archdiocese of Washington’s Office of Missions as the missionary childhood coordinator and missionary co-operative coordinator. She assists educating children and adults about the missions and telling them how they can help the missions. She also coordinates missionaries from other countries who come to make mission appeals in parishes in the Archdiocese of Washington. This column is adapted from an online presentation that Sister Annai has been offering for schoolchildren during the coronavirus shutdown of schools.)
