In this article, we shall discuss an aspect about mission, a theme which isfar from being exhausted or resolved. Karl Müller, one of Germany's foremostmissiologists, holds that rather than defining mission it is more fruitful to identify the basic and essential elements that characterize the Church's mission among the nations. He points out to the following elements as sign-posts leading to a better understanding of mission.

Trinitarian Foundation
      The most fundamental characteristic of the Church's mission is its trinitarian basis. Mission is basically rooted and has its origin in the mystery of the Trinity. The mission of the Church derives fromthe processions and missions of the Holy Trinity and has its beginning in the eternal self-communication and self-giving of, what Karl Rahner calls, the Immanent Trinity. Consequently, mission is an integral part of the economy of salvation, of the Trinity's eternal plan for the world. In the gospel of John, the specific relation between the missions of the divine persons and that of the apostles is clearly expressed, ŒAs you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,' (Jn 17,18) and ŒWhen the Advocate comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father, he will be my witness. And you too will be witnesses.' (Jn 15, 26). Mission is, therefore, first and foremost missio Dei, God's very own work.

The Salvation of Humankind
      The mission of the Church concerns the salvation of humanity. In his eternal love, God wishes to liberate people from their sins and to invite them to participate in his life. Mission aims at fulfilling this wish of God. This means that through its mission, the Church, helps individuals to turn away from sin and become members of God's family; the people of God. Moreover, just as God's love embraces the whole person, so mission is always concerned with the whole person. Human promotion and the striving for justice and peace, though not identical with mission, are an integral part of it.

Communitarian Dimension
      Mission is concerned with community and specifically with the community of those who believe. God does not simply wish to save human beings as individuals independently of each other, but as a community. The Second Vatican Council speaks of the Church first and foremost as the community of the faithful. From within this community, through the urgings of the Holy Spirit, comes the initiative to communicate the faith to others. The missionaries are sent by the community to strive to establish other communities in communion with the one that sent them. In Acts 13 we are told how the community at Antioch, while at worship, felt the Holy Spirit saying, ŒI want Barnabas and Saul set apart for the work that I have called them.'Following this they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 

In the World and for the World
      Mission is always concerned with the world because it simply cannot take place in a vacuum. Mission is an encounter between God and the world, the divine and the human, the Creator and the creature. Therefore it is always an incarnational process, a process of integration and inculturation. Such a process cannot occur without tension and struggle. On the other hand, the world and the Gospel are not irreconcilable. The God who created the world and saw that it was good, is the same God who wants to restore and sanctify this world through his Son Jesus Christ.

 Mission is Outreach
     'Mission is mainly concerned with those who do not yet know the Gospel, with those who are still outside the visible people of God,' writes Karl Müller. So the 'outreach' element is basic to mission. Mission of its very nature consists of an outward movement, a reaching out, a crossing over. These expressions should not be used primarily in a geographical sense but rather in a biblical and theological sense. The Letter to the Philippians is the key to the interpretation of this outward movement. 'In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus: His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave and become as men are.' Mission does not mean crossing seas but crossing over to the other; mission does not primarily mean leaving one's country but entering into the other's world

Angelo Xuereb sdc
Qala ­ Gozo

Editor's note
      We do hope that this article serves as basis for further discussion in our assignment groups. We will be very glad to have any feed-back especially if this comes as a result of some group discussion.