As I prayed before going on Mission for two months to Santa Clotilde, Peru, in the Vicariato Apostolico de San Jose del Amazonas, the image of the Holy Family came to me. What did Joseph and Mary know about their journey to Bethlehem? Did they know what that would entail when they said Yes to the Lord? Did they know what their journey to Bethlehem would be like? I don’t know the answer to these questions. But there are some things we can learn from their journey for all of us striving to be missionary disciples. The Holy family's journey, first and foremost, begins with God calling them. God comes to seek out Joseph and Mary. Our call to missionary discipleship begins with this call from God, who seeks us out. We then respond to God, who has taken this initiative. However, responding to the call doesn’t necessarily mean that difficulties and challenges will disappear. The journey to Bethlehem, I am sure, was filled with challenges and problems. The Holy Family probably did not know what was ahead of them. Still, their trust in providence, in what the Lord has in store for them, allowed them to encounter God in their journey and ultimately allowed all humanity to encounter Christ. The courage of St. Joseph to lead, to silently follow the call of the Lord, and the humility and faithfulness of Mary to depend on God are lessons we can all learn in answering the call of the Lord. This image of the Holy Family and their journey can be an image of missionary discipleship. One aspect that I believe accompanies a life of missionary discipleship, which I experienced during my first week and travel here to Santa Clotilde, is the aspect of adventure that accompanies missionary discipleship.
During a recent homily to his newly ordained priests, Bishop Gerald Barbarito (Bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach) beautifully described the joy, the purpose, and the value of the Mass for each of us as a Eucharistic adventure.[1] The life of a missionary disciple can be likened to this Eucharistic Adventure. The journey of a missionary disciple commences with the call from Christ, and through their acceptance and response to this call, embark on a life of living the joy of the Gospel. They return to the Eucharist not only to be nourished and fulfilled but also to experience the intimate presence of Christ. Each day, the missionary disciple approaches the Eucharist not to seek validation for their plans but to discern the call of Christ—the adventure that awaits them.
I had mixed feelings as I began my journey to Santa Clotilde, Peru. On the one hand, Mission has been on my heart this past year. (I first encountered Christ during Mission in Haiti in 2015-2016.) But at the same time, I was also comfortable where I was at this moment of my life; there was purpose and a sense of direction, and I knew what I had to do next. Breaking from this comfort and going to Santa Clotilde became increasingly more difficult as the days grew closer. In a way, I felt I was forcing myself to go. It was then, in prayer, that the image of the Holy Family came to me. The challenge of the Holy Family as they journeyed and how the Holy Family was with me on my journey provided consolation. I was also reminded of the image of Angels and Saints, who walk ahead to prepare the way for me. All the anxieties and worries of what would happen if I didn’t know enough Spanish, that my medical knowledge was not there, or that I was doing this to make myself feel good started coming up before the trip. These worries were diminished with time before the Eucharist, where the Lord gently reminded me that He called me on this journey, just as he called the Holy Family, and that His providence was always present. A call to be with the Lord, the Holy Family, and trust in the intercession of the great Saints and Angels allowed me to move forward. I was also reminded of the excitement and adventure that awaited me as I moved forward. Moving forward meant saying yes even when you don’t know what is coming next, what will happen, or how the journey will span. The yes of a missionary disciple is also a yes to an adventure.
The journey and adventure stand out during my trip to Santa Clotilde in the Vicariato Apostolico de San Jose del Amazonas and my first week here. The journey of around 18 hours to Iquitos, Peru, after which you take a 9-hour boat ride in the Amazon River to reach Santa Clotilde, was beautiful, exhilarating, and filled my heart. Being able to be here, to witness the life of amazing missionaries, religious and lay, foreign and local, who have given their life for the Church in the peripheries and, in some small way, be part of this is without a doubt a privilege that I cannot be thankful enough for. The Vicariate is named after St. Joseph, and the parish here at Santa Clotilde is Our Lady of Assumption. Both are reminders of the Holy Family's closeness with me and the people here. All this was not anything I could have planned for or even thought of, but this is what the Christian life allows us to experience: a life of adventure.
To be here as a physician, to be here as a seminarian, to be here as a Christian, and to be involved in the life of the people here is what the Christian adventure asks of me, and indeed is an adventure. Yes, there are doubts about my Spanish capabilities, medical knowledge, and pastoral sensitivity, and it can be overwhelming about how much there is to learn. This is also the beauty of the Christian adventure. In this adventure, challenges are transformed into moments of grace, where we encounter the Risen Lord in our daily challenges, who walks with us along with the angels and saints. Just as Joseph and Mary showed us, holding on to Jesus as close as possible is all we are called to. The rest of the things fall into place and are part of the adventure. The adventure is for each of us to experience. What the world has to offer of making your plans for every life decision is so dull and boring compared to what the Lord has in store for us. The life of a missionary disciple is genuinely one of adventure, filled with joy and purpose. A life where one comes before the Lord and responds to His calling is there for each of us, no matter where we are living, no matter what age we are, no matter what profession we are in, no matter what state of life we are in. The adventure of life to follow Christ, the adventure of missionary discipleship, is waiting for each of us….
