1.2 THE MISSION AD GENTES

The concept of mission has in itself a dynamism, a salvific mediation. God chose to save people through missionaries. The universal plan of salvation is not realised in a "secret" manner, in the souls of men and women, but needs the visible mediation of someone who is sent. This explains the mission of the Son (AG 3) and of all those who make the life and work of Christ tangible. We are "co-workers" of God for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. According to Christ’s design, he sent missionaries and his Spirit "in such a way that both would be always and everywhere associated in the fulfilment of the work of salvation" (AG 4). This text opens up a profound theological horizon for our missionary vocation. This co-operation is possible because of the power and ability that Christ himself communicated to us. He himself recalled at the moment of the missionary mandate that he had received "all power" (Mt 28:18). We count on Christ’s "presence" until the very end, as he promised us in the missionary context (Mt 28:20). It is true that there are an increasing number of obstacles to conducting the mission, and often we do not see results, and thus

To the question, "why mission?", we reply - the Pope says - with the Church’s faith and experience.... Mission is an issue of faith, an accurate indicator of our faith in Christ and his love for us (RM 11).

The mission, just as every form of mediation, presupposes a vocation, a call from God, and requires a departure, a setting out towards a goal (AG 23). - "Go". Where?