Called to selfless and generous apostolate

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

IF we truly want to be consistent with our Christian identity, then we should feel the urge to respond positively and eagerly to what Christ once told his disciples, “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest.” (Mt 9, 37)

That was why, Christ immediately summoned his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. (cfr. Mt 10,1) Then he told them, “cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases, drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge.” (Mt 10,8)

It is important to note that these words are also meant for all of us who wish to follow Christ as we should. We should not forget that since we are meant to be “another Christ,” we also share in his continuing mission of saving mankind, which is what apostolate is all about.

For this, we need to develop a keen sense of vocation. It should be clear to all that everyone has a vocation. Everyone is called by God to carry out a mission that ultimately is a matter of our salvation.

To be sure, no one comes to existence by mere accident nor by pure chance and divine caprice. God does not create us at random. Even a person who is considered unwanted by his parents or is conceived through rape is already a person planned and loved by God from all eternity. This is a fundamental truth about ourselves that we should never take for granted.

Thus, we should try to develop this sense of vocation as early as possible. And this can mean as early as when one is still a child, already beginning to be aware of what and who he or she is. This normally should start in the family, with the parents playing a major role in this affair since they are our first teachers here on earth.

The parents should be quick in sowing the seeds of this sense of vocation by making the child aware that he or she just did not come from them but from God. And that he or she also belongs to God. This basic truth should always be reinforced all throughout the process of bringing up and educating the child.

The parents should therefore plant the rudiments of piety in their children, mainly through their example and with them doing the appropriate catechesis. Their children should see them praying and having a special and pious regard to God. When the children see the love between them and feel their parents’ love for them, then the children will find it easy to relate themselves with God in faith and love.

With a sense of vocation firmly established, we should be keenly aware of the mission inherent to that vocation. This mission will definitely require everything from us. But neither should we forget that everything has also been given to us. To be sure, Christ does not ask of us something that he himself would not enable us to do.

It’s a truth of our faith that we should vividly remember always, especially when we feel we are already at our limits in our self-giving to fulfill God’s will. God cannot be outdone in generosity. If we are generous with him and with others, the more generous will God be with us!

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com