One who is touched by the grace of God, touched by the hand of God, is called to be a missionary. Some would be invited by Jesus to just “follow me,” while some will be asked to follow in another way.
The man who was freed from demoniac possession was told by Jesus to, “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.” He was to follow Jesus in a different way. He was to evangelize from his household, community, and neighborhood.
Though the freedman wanted to follow Jesus, Jesus said no. Jesus had another plan for him: go to your household, your neighborhood, and your community.
The man became a disciple of Jesus. We were told that he went off and proceeded to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. Everyone was amazed.
By the grace of our baptism, we are all called to evangelize, but not everyone is called to be a missionary in a foreign land.
Saint Mother Teresa is fond of telling people, “Stay where you are. Find your own Calcutta. Find the sick, the suffering, and the lonely, right where you are — in your own homes and in your own families, in homes and in your workplaces and in your schools. You can find Calcutta all over the world, if you have eyes to see. Everywhere, wherever you go, you find people who are unwanted, unloved, uncared for, just rejected by society — completely forgotten, completely left alone.”
Have a blessed Week
