Mission Prayer

I composed the following while in Guatemala on my most recent mission trip.

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Lord,

You continue to call me to serve You -
          in my homeland and abroad.

As I continue to serve Your people during this time,
          allow me to see You in the midst of them -
                    in their lives -
                    in their faces -
                    in their eyes.

Help me to be Your loving presence to them,
          that they may know Your glory -
          not just eventually in the Kingdom,
          but here and now on the Earth.

Allow this experience of being "missionary"
(in a land that is not my own)
continue to instill in me an opportunity
to allow my heart to grow, to be like Yours,
so that spreading the Gospel,
not only through word, but by my actions as well,
I may continue to be the servant You have called me to be.

O Lord, I am not worthy to be here.
          I am not worthy to be serving Your people.

However, my faith in You causes me to be here.
          My faith in You urges me to see You in the other.
          My faith in You beckons me to know You
                    beyond the borders of my confined world.

I have once again stepped off the cliff,
          not knowing where I'll land or how long the fall is.

But that's okay.

I know that You'll catch me.

I know that You will keep me safe.

And as I step off that cliff once again into the unknown
          uncertainty of mission work,
I realize that that I ultimately have nothing to fear or
           worry about;
I have nothing that should truly scare me.

Yes, there are moments of doubt.

Yes, there are moments of uncertainty.

And, yes, there are moments of fear.

Nevertheless, as the Psalmist says:
          "You are my Shepherd, I shall not be afraid."

And as Saint Faustina reminds us about You,
          our trust in Your Divine Mercy continues to uphold
                    us, especially as we come to understand what
                    it means to say: "I trust in You."

And so, Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

I trust that Your Mercy will guide me.

I trust that Your Arms will uphold me.

I trust that Your Heart will protect me.

I trust that Your Love will give me solace.

I trust that Your Presence will be my everylasting
          companion on the journey.

As I look forward to understanding what it means to serve
           You, no matter where I may be, I ask that You
           continue to send me the wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
           so that I may not only deepen my trust in You, but 
           that I may have that open heart to say "Yes" to
           whatever - and wherever - You're calling me to.

And now, on this beautiful day -
          a day that we celebrate the glory of 
                    Your Resurrection - 
          we recognize that this is the day that You have made.

We rejoice and are glad!

I rejoice and am glad for what You have given to me.

I rejoice in the relationship that I have with You
          and Your Body.

I trust in Your will for me.

I trust that, as I continue to be "missionary", 
          I will help others to see You,
          and to bring Your loving and living presence
                     to all that I meet.

Good Shepherd, send me into the pastures in the world
          to smell like the sheep.
Send me out so that, following Your model and example,
          I may shepherd others to Your Most Sacred Heart.
Send me out, so that I may help others to trust in You.

I walk off the cliff to fall in love with You more deeply.

I lead others off the cliff, not to send them to their deaths,
          but to help them trust in You more.

Good Shepherd, I trust in You.

Amen.

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Enjoy the journey . . .