The earliest missionaries had no baggage! They were SENT, fortified solely by the Word of God...the Gospel teachings of Jesus and they concretized what they had heard for themselves, to the people they were sent.

Their teaching by word of mouth is to be accompanied with healing of persons, through care, concern of persons. The miracle of Jesus was in the way he was present to people. So his words were accepted as a personal message. Jesus was/is a model they couldn't resist to imitate. The impact of his message created a transformation in his hearers.

How is the message of the Gospel spread today? The urgency of "GO AND PROCLAIM" is missing. The message itself gets diluted, the impact is lessened, with the advance of technology. The internet is loaded with inspiring messages; but there seems less and less of personal witnessing, with our lives. We who have been gifted with so much of personal experiences in our faith life are called to gift others along the way.

The missionary spirit and thirst to proclaim the Gospel is imperative. It is the very call of our own Baptism, and central to all other ministries we are involved in.