Jesusπ Mission Statement 1 /21/ 07

By Fr.Gus Carter

Most of us have run into mission statements in one way or another. Mission

statements try to state briefly the main aims of a religious organization. We

have one for this parish. Business organizations try to make mission

statements that will clarify what the aim of their particular company is. In

today's Gospel we could say that Jesus is using the words of the prophet

Isaiah to state briefly the purpose of his life and mission. Since we are called

to imitate Jesus, follow Jesus, the words of this Gospel are important to us.

You might say that they are vital to our Christianity. We strive by prayer and

action to become Christ-like. If we perform the actions Jesus recommends, we

will become like our Lord.

To be anointed, as Jesus declared he was, in Jewish history meant to have

been designated by God to perform a particular work. Kings were anointed as

a sign that they were ruling in God's place. Prophets were anointed to remind

the people of God's presence among them and to keep before their minds

how people of God act. We have been anointed at our Baptism and

Confirmation. We have been designated to continue the work of Jesus Christ

in our own time. We believe that each of us has received the Holy Spirit of

God to empower us to be Christ-like during our time on earth. In Baptism and

Confirmation we have been claimed by God. We are fellow workers with

Jesus. Today's reading questions each of us, "How aware am I of Jesus' Spirit

in me? Do I daily have a sense of the most basic meaning of my life?" How

true of me are the words of the hymn, "They will know we are Christians by

our love."

We ask ourselves again, "Am I glad tidings for the poor?" We may not know

the financial status of those around us, but we are aware of individuals who

are poor in many ways: the lonely, the forgotten, those who are only on the

fringes of various social groups, called the marginalized. We need to interact

with others in such a way that we respect their dignity as children of God. In

many ways those with poor social skills are rejected. Our attention to such

people is a gift that gives them a sense of being included. We must be careful

not to make others feel that they are objects of our charity.

We do meet those who are bound in some way. There are those who are held

back by a lack of self-worth. Instead of taking advantage of such persons, we

make some gesture of support. Others seem to be unduly controlled by some

relationship. Helping those in destructive relationships, addictive behavior, is

often difficult. Sometimes all we can do is give a word of warning or some

gesture of support. We need to be tactful, sensitive, so that we do not crash in

on someone's problems. I think that genuine acknowledgment of the gifts of

others can help them to be fully alive as God has created them.

Jesus sought the "recovery of sight to the blind." Can we make the effort to aid

individuals who are blinded by prejudice and ignorance? By our dedication to

truth in our own lives, we can help others to live in the light of truth and reality.

Can we help those we love to see things objectively in a way that allows them

to hear and to take to heart? It is hard to hear angry or belittling words. Our

human ego does enjoy criticizing others or making sure that others know that

we are right and that they are wrong. Jesus worked to let the oppressed go

free. Do we try to be sensitive to those who have little or not voice in getting

fair treatment for themselves. A number of Church documents use the expression "preferential option for the poor." We have a primary responsibility toward those who have little, those who are oppressed by economic and social forces beyond their control. In our political and business lives we must develop a sensitivity to unfair treatment of those who have little means to obtain justice. We might ask ourselves, "How can I make my life glad tidings to the poor?"