Novena for the Centennial - Day 6

Since 1921, the Quebec Foreign Mission Society is at the service of the Gospel.  We are celebrating 100 years; we wish to celebrate together the journey of our missionary commitment. We are celebrating the dynamism of our missionary Society, and with gratitude, we remember our past, we renew the passion of living the mission in communion in our historic present, and we rekindle the hope for the future.
 
This novena is meant for the members and associates, former members and associates, candidates and seminarians in formation, affiliates, friends, members of our Churches and/or local communities, the youth who belong to our networks, and the persons of good will who wish to join us in our thanksgivings to God for the dynamism and the renewal of our missionary Society. 

Oh God, we give you thanks for having again nowadays put in the hearts of young people the missionary vocation «ad gentes» for the peoples of the world.  
  
 
Bible reading for reflection: John 15.15
 
  "I do not call you servants; you are my friends". 

 
Reflection:
 
With the washing of the feet, Jesus became the first in the task of service that all have to practice. Mutual love makes us children of God and brings the disciples at the level of Jesus. The one who calls you friends here will call you also brothers. In the missionary context, friendship with Jesus means the collaboration in an endeavour considered common to all and the responsibility of all; that is why the joy of the mission is shared with Jesus.  The disciples are not the paid servants of a lord, but friends who collaborate voluntarily to the task. The group of friends lives next to him with communication and trust. He is with them and share his life.  (Juan Mateos, the Gospel of John)
 
Our Life Project at no. 103 mentions that « the participation in the same service of the Gospel, the fraternity and the effective helping of each other on the human, spiritual and apostolic level constitute the essential of our community life ». That is how our Society, during its 100 years of service to the Gospel, was able to grow in the practice of that fraternity, becoming more and more universal.    

Commitment: To carry out the most difficult domestic tasks for me with love, to collaborate in an effective way in my context, and to cultivate tolerance and fraternity. Call a person (member of the family or friend) whom I have not contacted for a long time, and greet that person. 
 

 

Prayer for the Centennial of the SME

God ever faithful,
“Whom shall I send?” - you ask us.
On this path, on the same boat,
where we all are,
we answer to you:
“Here we are, Lord, send us" (Is. 6,8)
 
Your Spirit pushes us and carries us,
encourages us and sends us to mission
to the world and to all peoples.
It is your endless love
the one that moves us
"to run the risk of the encounter
at the service of the Gospel".
 
In today's Church and history,
here we are, Lord, send us.
We are a small Missionary Society that,
humble and confronted with many challenges,
wants to be part of the transformation of hearts,
minds, bodies, societies and cultures,
at all times and in all places.
 
Here we are, Lord,
at the service of your Gospel,
to bear witness to your love
and your salvation,
attentive to the needs of bread and justice,
freedom and work, dignity and peace
of our brothers and sisters,
taking care of all your creation as well.
 
Here we are, Lord, send us,
to seed hope,
to build up a new world,
holding your word and discovering your presence
in all peoples and cultures.
 
Reaching out to their encounter,
we proclaim that you are
the ever-merciful God,
whose love last forever.
 
May, the Virgin Mary, first disciple and missionary,
pray for us, now and forever. Amen.