2. The principal characteristics of a missionary spirit which gives witness to consecrated life

John Paul II concludes his Encyclical Redemptoris missio with a chapter dedicated to missionary spirituality. In it he underlines some characteristics of it: docility to the Spirit, living the mystery of Christ who was sent, loving the Church and people as Christ loved them, being an authentic contemplative. All these, as is evident, form part of every Christian spirituality. They take on different, special forms when lived by people who, through their special vocation, are dedicated to proclaiming the gospel among non-Christians. In addition to the characteristics mentioned by the Pope and springing from them we should mention some others.