A missionary [essay]

Title

Language

English

Source

The Little Apostle of the Mountain Province 1 (1) June 1924

Year

1924

Subject

Missions--Philippines

Catholic Church

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

2 A M issionarv Before we come into contaet with mi;;sionary labor in the pagan field, it may be good to know what a missionary is. Having finished his studies at the cost of much expense in a college for sPveral years, at the moment he could enter the university and follow a career which might make him wealthy and eowr him with honor, the eandidate for missionary enters the seminary. During another six years he is given a speeial training to acquire not only the seiences all priests must acquire to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments, but also to practice the special virtues a missionary should have for his hard and sometimes ungrateful labors among pagans. In the meantime he makes the threefold vow of religion and the vow binding himself forever to the foreign mission. By the vow of poverty he sacrifices all the goodi< of the world. By the vow of rhastiy he sacrifices the joys and pleasures that are found in the matrimonial state and by the vow of obedience he sacrifices his will, ready to do God's will for His greater glory. By the vow to go to the missions forever, he makes the supreme sacrifice of his home, his family, his country. He gives his time, energy, talents for the rest of his life, perhaps even his life, to unknown pagans, to bring them into heaven. The day comes for him to make these last sacrifices. ·who shall desnibe the heartrending of the missionary "·hen he receiws for the last time the blessing uf his father and mother·? ~ e\·er again to see 1 hem pei"liaps ... and the . mif'sionary too has a loving heart for hi~ beloved parents. He arrives at his mission after a long arduous jounwy. "'hat a task lies before him ! He has to learn a language, perhaps two or more. And he studies day and night, heeause he knows that he mu!'lt make him;;:elf understood to reaeh ~he heart of hi>' unknown but already beloved floek. He i:" sent to a mission. A few shaeks surround his rnqdest dwelling. What a difference with his own home, his own town. :Nobod.Y to welcome him. Xobody to gi\'e him an encouraging word except at the rare visits of a eonfrere or a superior. But that ice he will break through. He visits his neighbors. They do not care for him. Xever mind, he will care for them. Somebody is sick . . the missionary has studied medicine. He looks after the siek, consoles them, tries to cure them and procuring their health, he sows the seed that must cure their soul. He talks with the first frightened little children, he attracts them with the few trifles all children like, he teaches them the sign of the cross. He hears of a man in distress behind a distant mountain, he jumps on his horse or walks on foot to the spot where, healing the hocly, he may sa\·e a soul. At home he has a poor bed, a poor kitchen, poor food, 110 comfort or what might be called by that name in this century of eomfort, but he has God and, while hi:o pngan neighbors honor perhaps the cleYil, he knef'ls down bt>fore the little tabernacle to implnre 8trength for himself a11rl light for tho:"e who :'it in the darkness of hell. He wirn' some souls. \\'hat a joy! There is no joy on earth like the happiness of bringing some souls into the outstretched arms of the crucified God-man. But there are more to be won for heaven. Farther and farth2r he spreads his activities. Often he is tired. His travels are exhausting in the mountains. Dangers surround him: precipices, sickness without help, unknown roads, perhaps enemies who hate him as does Satan their master. But there is a guardian angel to guide him and a Providence to take care of him as long as it shall please God. He builds a more decent chapel, a modest school, he writes letters upon letters to expose his necessities to his parents and friends. How 3 often does he write in vain! How excrueiating to see the good to be llone thru schools and catechists and not to have the means to do it! Bnt on he goes. And when suceess has crowned his superhuman efforts, some day a letter arrive;: from his superior saying "go" and he is sent to another di:"tant u11known place to find it in thf' same eondition as his first misSJ on. Dis('onragr<l '? -- No. He will begin all his work over again and later he will begin it a third time and more, till finally an unwritten letter arrin's from his Great Superior not ~a.ring: "go" but "come". And ewn there the work of the :\lissionary shall not stop. Yes, even there he \\·ill remain a missionary praying for the missions, praying for his benefactors. Must not these prayers be powerful before the Lord'? Yes, the missionary will remember you in his daily mass; the converts you make by your help, owing to you their salvation, will be grateful and above all, Christ Your Redeemer, 'Vhom you help by redeeming others, will reward you here and hereafter. If You Don't, Who Will 1 The object of this monthly Review is shown by the title: "THE LITTLE APOSTLE OF THE :MOUNTAIN PROVINCE." My dear readers: You are all acqainted with the Mountain Province of Northern Luzon. It is inhabited by 300,000 non christian people, Filipinos as well as are the Tagalogs, the Ilocanos, the Visayans. In the year 1907 the Belgian Mission

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