VII. Towards the Father

We began by speaking of the mission in "history", this history that is on its journey to a goal, the Father; and the consecrated persons who are missionaries are working in a history that is proceeding towards the Father. The origin of every vocation is the Father, as Christ acknowledges,...for the ones you have given me, for they are yours (Jn 17:9-12).

The origin of mission is found in "the fountain-like love of the Father" (AG 2), and the mission develops because the Father "wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4). Consecrated persons see their lives as "A Patre ad Patrem" (VC 17.

This is the meaning of the call to the consecrated life: it is an initiative coming wholly from the Father (VC 17).

The mystery of our consecration-mission, from the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit, and back to the Father.

The Father has "his tempo, his hour" at the moment of vocations to our institutes and of conversion. We must not be impatient. It was in a missionary context that the disciples asked Jesus"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel". He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority". (Acts 1:7) - Get to work.

Christ does not ask to see results, but rather our faithful work. The various difficulties faced by consecrated persons must in no way cause anyone to lose faith in the missionary power of the consecrated life (VC 63). The figure and the reality of the Father, who is most of all a provident God, lead us to trust and hope.

The Father takes care of all his creatures, even the littlest and least significant, like the lilies of the field and the birds of the air (Mt 6:26-30). The Father is the "creator" and all creatures have been created so that some day they may be restored in Christ. Sin effected some consequences on creation. Creation itself, subject to decay, is waiting to enter into the freedom of glory (Rom 8:20-22).

At the end of time the Father will transform the world into a glorified state. At the end creatures will experience a type of general restoration. The eschatological horizon is one of universal renewal, not ruin. Missionary work is part of this movement of searching for and protecting anything that is of good in creation, in order to subject it to Christ. The consecrated life too advances down the paths of time with her eyes fixed on the future restoration of all things in Christ... and Christ will deliver "the Kingdom to God the Father" (1 Cor 15:24-28) (VC 59)

This is why both mission and the consecrated life have an "ecological" dimension. History has witnessed many examples of this dimension in consecrated persons. Today ecology is threatened more than ever, and we can ask ourselves if consecrated persons are responding to this challenge.

And with this return to the Father I want to conclude. From him we came - nude, called and consecrated by the Spirit to work - but we cannot return to him empty-handed.

Many parables depict the Father asking this question: what have you done with the coins you received? Give an account of your inheritance.

(And ours is indeed a rich inheritance!)