The mission goes on

I once trained my dog to do a Mass collection. It was a success. People were patting him and putting money into the basket he was carrying. Then halfway through, he ran away and exited through the main entrance with the basket and all! That was the last time he did his mission as a Mass collector!

Today is the Solemnity of the Lord’s Ascension. He was lifted to Heaven, leaving behind His mandate to His disciples: “To go to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” The mission goes on. We, too, are His disciples and must continue to spread the Good News and proclaim the Gospel value wherever we go, whatever we do.

In today’s Gospel (Mark 16:15-20), the Lord Jesus reminds us that there will be signs that will accompany us as we do His mission, in His name. It is His work, and He will empower us. Take note: It is in His name, not ours. Yes, we are disciples with a Mission and with a Master.

What makes us not continue doing our mission? It is when we focus more on ourselves and on our own agenda and focus less on the Lord and His agenda. We have to keep on focusing on the Lord, not on the load. As long as we continue to pray, and take the road of honesty and humility, we will be okay. Mission is not so much the work of our hands, as the love in our hearts.

In our 13-kilometer “Walk with God” from Urdaneta to Manaoag last week, a refreshing moment came when I heard someone shouting, “Father Manaoag!” It was a boy who must have seen me in my cassock pass by their house every first Saturday of May and October all these years. He did not know my name but he knew what I stood for. Indeed, what have we done to remind people of the Lord’s presence? How many people have I called (“manaoag”) to come closer to the Lord?

Happy Mother’s Day! I am writing this column in Assisi, and we have with our group Dr. Nini Faylona and her 92-year-old mother Editha. What an inspiring sight to see a daughter take care and assist her mother. What a privilege to be given the chance to “pay back” our parents who loved and sacrificed so much for us!

One of our pilgrims is Karen Sanchez, who shared that she took care of her mother for 10 years until her mom died. She chose love over career. She did not use her MBA from the University of the Philippines. Instead, her MBA meant “mother’s beloved assistant.” Mabuhay ka, Karen, and all children who choose to love and make their parents proud.

Basketball coach Ryan Gregorio shared with us his horizon shift from “compete” to “complete.” From someone who used to be focused on competing and winning, he now values completing his being grounded and being human. He made the choice for God and family first, choosing the road of humility and hiddenness, rather than the road of professional glory and success. Yes, the mission can evolve, and the call of the Lord leads us to growth and gives us that “joy which the world cannot give or take away.”

On Mother’s Day, let us pray also for our Motherland (“Inang Bayan”). May God bless our country, our leaders, and our people! We pray also for our Mother Nature (“Inang Kalikasan”). May we stop abusing our Mother Earth so ravaged now by climate change. Let us also pray for our Mother Church (“Inang Simbahan”). May Mother Mary continue to bless, guide, purify, and strengthen our church leaders and our people.

A moment with the Lord. Lord, no matter what, remind us that the mission goes on. Amen.