"I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" - John 15:11
"I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do." - John 17:4
"Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work." - John 4:34
Before Joseph Ratzinger became Pope, he had written some articles that had an emphasis on joy. In an article entitled "Faith as Trust and Joy—Evangelium", which was his contribution to Bernhard Häring's Festschrift, published in 1977 and later reprinted in Principles of Catholic Theology (Ignatius Press, 1987), joy is very much present in throughout Ratzinger's work and it arises in connection with all the key themes of the Christian faith. It seems to me that this is exactly the kind of message that people today, with all their questions and problems, need to hear. This emphasis in presenting the Christian message could serve to overcome the indifference or discouragement which afflict many members of the Church, and rekindle their enthusiasm and love for the faith. Jesus' life purpose was to bring about God's glory on earth. The vision of God's glory focused His life choices and filled His daily affairs with immense significance. As He set His life toward the hope of finishing God's work, His life became a daily feast of purpose.
MISSIONS IS A LOADED WORD. Amongst Christians, the mention of 'world mission' can conjure up some negative connotations. Maybe guilt. Sacrifice. Long slide shows of people in far away places. Money appeals. The fearful expectation that God may tell you to go somewhere you have always dreaded. Living in primitive conditions. Strange food. What older, unmarried women get involved in. At least, an optional extra for over-zealous Christians or for a particular brand of Christian. Most Christians would admit that they don't really know enough about what missions is to know what they would do or be if they were to aspire to be a missionary.
The purpose, or goal, of divine providence is to accomplish the will of God. To ensure that His purposes are fulfilled, God governs the affairs of people and works through the natural order of things. The laws of nature are nothing more than a depiction of God at work in the universe. The laws of nature have no inherent power, nor do they work independently. The laws of nature are the rules and principles that God set in place to govern how things work. The certainity that He will see His purposes fulfilled makes His invitation to join Him in His mission a matter of heart-blazing hope. He is enlisting His followers to lead lives of huge significance.
God creates every individual for a purpose, to have fellowship with Him, to trust Him. This is part of being made in the image of God. It is not that we as we are in ourselves bears God's likeness, but rather that we are designated for and called to a particular relation with God. It is not that there is such a thing as a divine substance of which we are made. Rather, it is that we partake of the divine image in a functional way.
Whether we go to distant countries or stay at home is a secondary issue. Discovering our vision is perhaps crucial for any Christian.
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