Missionaries of the Sacred

By Fr. David Foxen, MSC

The point of religious freedom is to respect the beliefs and practices of others because we recognize their fundamental human dignity.  As missionaries we do not see our mission limited to any one group for it is a call to reach out to every person.  We are formed in the Spirituality of the Heart, and the Spirituality of the Heart is the basis of dialog with every person, regardless of their personal religious convictions.  It is an understanding of God’s love, made human in the person of Jesus Christ, that transcends language and culture.  In itself, the Spirituality of the Heart does not require a certain theological or religious vocabulary. It need only be personal and come from the heart. In the Gospels we see the unseen love of God become visible and present in the human words and actions of Christ. In the deepest sense, it does not really require words.  God’s love is revealed in the healing touch, the comfort to the widowed mother, the respect and forgiveness shown to the woman at the well or the woman about to be executed.  God’s love is also manifested in the assurance that faith has brought healing and in the promise to the dying thief that he would that day be with Christ in Paradise.

The Spirituality of the Heart is realized when we listen to the person whose life has become darkness or who has lost a loved one.  Or the Heart is present when we share someone’s relief, accomplishment, or discovery of their own value and dignity.  They may be Catholic or we may have no idea of their faith or lack of faith background.  We listen, we are present, we offer what we have.  The Spirituality of the Heart speaks all languages.  It is not limited by doctrine or adherence to a belief system.  It is the humanity of Christ reaching out to touch a human being who needs his love.  Perhaps someday, even today, he will discover who is the source of that love.  Perhaps one day he or she will be filled with the light of Jesus Christ.  And even if not, we know that through our weak and very human reaching out, Christ has touched that person.

The Spirituality of the Heart is the greatest realization of dialog.  It always finds the common ground, the shared value, what binds us together and binds us to God.  It respects differences and acknowledges the other’s right to find their way and act on what they believe.  It opens new doors and lets light overcome the dark.