The Holy Spirit Makes
the Whole Church Missionary
26. The
Spirit leads the company of believers to "form a community," to be
the Church. After Peter's first proclamation on the day of Pentecost and the
conversions that followed, the first community takes shape (cf. Acts 2:42-47;
4:32-35).
One of the central purposes
of mission is to bring people together in hearing the Gospel, in fraternal
communion, in prayer and in the Eucharist. To live in "fraternal
communion" (koinonia) means to be "of one heart and soul"
(Acts 4:32), establishing fellowship from
every point of view: human, spiritual and material. Indeed, a true Christian
community is also committed to distributing earthly goods, so that no one is in
want, and all can receive such goods "as they need" (cf. Acts
2:45; 4:35). The first
communities, made up of "glad and generous hearts" (Acts 2:46),
were open and missionary: they enjoyed "favor with all the people"
(Acts 2:47).
Even before activity, mission means witness and a way of life that shines out
to others.34
27.
The Acts of the Apostles indicates that the mission which was directed first to
Israel and then to the Gentiles develops on many levels. First and foremost,
there is the group of the Twelve which as a single body, led by Peter,
proclaims the Good News. Then there is the community of believers, which in its
way of life and its activity bears witness to the Lord and converts the
Gentiles (cf. Acts 2:46-47). Then there
are the special envoys sent out to proclaim the Gospel. Thus the Christian
community at Antioch sends its members forth on mission; having fasted, prayed
and celebrated the Eucharist, the community recognizes that the Spirit has
chosen Paul and Barnabas to be "sent forth" (cf. Acts
13:1-4). In its origins, then, mission is seen as a community
commitment, a responsibility of the local church, which needs
"missionaries" in order to push forward toward new frontiers. Side by
side with those who had been sent forth, there were also others, who bore
spontaneous witness to the newness which had transformed their lives, and who
subsequently provided a link between the emerging communities and the Apostolic
Church.
Reading the Acts of the
Apostles helps us to realize that at the beginning of the Church the mission ad
gentes, while it had missionaries dedicated "for life" by a
special vocation, was in fact considered the normal outcome of Christian
living, to which every believer was committed through the witness of personal
conduct and through explicit proclamation whenever possible.
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