Living as Missionary Disciples

warm words from the pastor, offering Mass and the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation at convenient times, ensuring accessibility of worship and inclusion for those with physical and mental disabilities, and using multiple languages, where needed. Disciples find communion in their fam ilies, their parish, and relationships with others. Questions for Reflection: • How do we cultivate a communal and missionary spirit within our family? • Are there areas that we need to work on to strengthen our family as a commu nity of faith? • In what ways can we offer more ongoing formation and support of family life? • How can we become a more welcoming parish community? Where are the areas for growth? Send The commitment to living the Christian life is an essential element of the culture of witness. We witness to the Christian life through living out our respective vocations. As St. Peter tells us, we must “always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks . . . for a reason for [our] hope” (1 Pt 3:15). We should be looking for ways to share with others the way we have experienced the salvific love of Jesus Christ. As Bl. Paul VI said, “In the long run, is there any other way of handing on the Gospel than by trans mitting to another person one’s personal experience of faith?” 76 The public profession of one’s faith through works of charity and justice—which promote solidarity, peace, and the stewardship of creation—builds up the Kingdom of God. Social justice and direct missionary opportunities pro vide powerful encounters with the person of Jesus and his Church. The innate dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. Human life is sacred. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to all that is required to protect and preserve human dignity. The Catholic Church believes that every person is precious and that the measure of every policy and institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life of the human person. “Each individual Christian and every community is called to be an instrument of God for the liberation and promotion of the poor, and for enabling them to be fully a part of society”. 77 A basic moral test of culture is to see how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred

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