A missionary is somebody who brings God’s love into the world. They do this by providing practical support such as help run schools, health centres, orphanages.

Missionaries also provide emotional and spiritual care. They share God’s love through their lives of love and service and by witnessing to their faith, often in very difficult and dangerous situations.

Pope Francis has often stated that Mary provides us with the best example of a missionary. First, because she brought love into the world through the birth of Christ, but also because, by following her virtues, we will be better able to bring God’s love to others.

Question: What are the virtues Mary held that make her the model of missionaries? Are they virtues we possess and if so, do we use them to bring love into the world too?

Courage: The Bible reveals Mary’s generosity in other ways too. We learn how she travelled a long and difficult journey in the early months of her pregnancy to stay with, and support, her older cousin, Elizabeth, who was also expecting a baby.

Compassion: Mary’s great generosity was motivated by another virtue: her sense of compassion which made her identify with the struggles and suffering of another and as a consequence she reached out and helped.

Faith

The Bible tells us that Mary pondered the things she couldn’t
understand ‘in her heart.’ It tells us, too, that on those occasions when she was confused; such as when her son was rejected and made to suffer, she took time to pray for understanding, reflect and find guidance from the scriptures.

“Like the young Mary you can allow your life to become a means for making the world a better place. Jesus is calling you to leave your mark in life, your mark on history”. Pope Francis 

Humility

“In Mary we see that humility is not a virtue of the weak but of the strong who don’t have to treat others badly to feel important” (Pope Francis)

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