Deacons' Council Diocese of Orlando at 135 Marion Oak Lane, Ocala, FL 34473-2631 US - HE IS RISEN! OUR MISSION BEGINS!

He Is Risen! Our Mission Begins by: Deacon Wayne G. Phelps, S.F.O Rejoice, rejoice and be glad! Our Lord has risen! Alleluia, Alleluia!! Through the shed blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ the new covenant of love has been established and our debts have been forgiven! Praise be to God! On that glorious morning of the third day, our Lord did just as he had promised. The temple that was destroyed was rebuilt for us in three days and our Lord rose victoriously for the love of His people! In fulfilling His earthly mission of forgiveness and reconciliation our Lord offered, and continues to offer all generations henceforth the hope of salvation and eternal life. Because of this offer, Jesus' mission did not end with His Resurrection. Before He returned to heaven, he commissioned the remaining eleven disciples: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mk 28: 18-20). With this proclamation, with this command, Jesus passed on the reality of His mission not only to the eleven disciples, but to all disciples to come. It was passed on in a very real way to you and to me. Mission. The word used in the religious context raises images of trips to foreign lands and cultures for the purpose of spreading the Good News. It may produce feelings of awe and trepidation and even elicit reflection on what it means to sacrifice one's personal needs or desires for a greater goal or good. Certainly these are appropriate thoughts on the idea of mission, but for many of us they may seem somewhat out of reach or irrelevant in our day-to-day existence…. In many ways, nothing could be further from the truth. It is not difficult to recognize that in our world, in the larger sense and within our personal spheres of existence that we are immersed in a reality that is literally starving for the Good News of Jesus Christ. We need look no further than the newspaper or the electronic media to see the evidence, direct and indirect, of this sad truth. Broken relationships caused by a lack of commitment and a poor understanding of what love truly means, drug and alcohol addiction, verbal and physical violence are but a few of the obvious signs of this fact. The more subtler and perhaps insidious signs are the lack of patience, tolerance and respect that we witness between people and may experience more intimately in some of our relationships. None of us are totally innocent. We are all victims and perpetrators to one degree or another in this regard as it is part and parcel of what it means to live out life in the midst of our brokenness. Ultimately, this is why Christ came, why we need Him so much and why he calls us to continue His mission. As disciples who live so called "ordinary lives", it is within the context of these relationships that we are called to carry on the sacred mission of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We begin by living lives that reflect the love and values of Christ's teachings. In doing so we bring a sense of mutual respect and dignity for one another to the table of our relationships. Supported and nurtured within the climate of patience and forbearance that grows within the light of our risen Lord's example, we give flesh to the reality of Jesus Christ and the Good News in a very visible and concrete way. St. Francis of Assisi said it beautifully: "Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words." However, we must not be tempted to believe our mission is an easy one, lest we quickly lose focus and become disheartened with it. In imitating Christ, in preaching the Gospel as St. Francis described, we become people of forgiveness and reconciliation, which is very counter-cultural and challenging to the values and issues that we often encounter. It is within this lived out experience that our mission, Christ's mission passed on to us, will become extremely challenging if not down right difficult. My, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rightfully celebrate the most joyous of mysteries this Easter Season, let us give thanks and praise to our Father in Heaven for the gift of His beloved Son. At the same time, out of love and gratitude for the salvation offered to us through our risen Lord, let us also be faithful, as He was faithful and take seriously His call to mission. As we move toward Pentecost, let us pray for the grace of a renewed sense of commitment to this mission and at the same time for the wisdom, courage and strength necessary to persevere in all that we do, in His name, and for all people. He is risen! Our mission begins. Deacon Wayne G. Phelps, S.F.O. is a Retired Lieutenant Commander, USN 1991 with 21 years active duty. Gulf War Veteran Graduate of Florida State University 1979, Magna Cum Laude: Bachelor Science in Nursing Registered Professional Nurse in State of Florida Pastoral Associate at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, Orl. Fl. Professed member of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO), and: Current Minister/President of Lady Poverty Fraternity, SFO (Orlando, Fl.)

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