Let´s think a little about this. The mission is God´s, it´s not ours. It´s God who comes to the world to save us. He looks for us, becomes human like us, lives in our midst, suffers the injustice of the cross, and finally overcomes the cross and death and frees the repentant of all sin. God´s mission is to love the world in a way that whoever comes to His son, Jesus Christ, and believes in Him, is a new creature, has gone from death to life and lives by the complete hope that God´s kingdom is already here, in the form of visible signs and will come in fullness at the end of times. God´s mission was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and is lived out daily in the communion of the saints, through the existence of Christ´s church in the world. It is God´s mission. But it is the church´s passion.
What is this passion that unites us with God´s mission, which envelops us and enchants us and leads us to proclaim the salvation that God has offered to all people?
Passion is a form of fervent love, an intense affection. It´s an enthusiasm, a fire that burns in the heart, which makes our legs tremble, takes our breath away, makes us feel alive and goes beyond all body, emotion and reason. Passion is a delight, going beyond oneself towards a splendid encounter, unique and true with our passion. God´s mission is our passion.
Passion is suffering. It´s martyrdom. It´s sacrifice. It´s affliction. Christ, God´s son, suffered until the moment of the cross because of His love for us. His disciples, throughout the history of the church, suffered because of Christ. Many were imprisoned, tortured and killed because of their passion for the gospel. But thanks to these people, God´s mission reached us. We are part of the community of the `passion-ridden´, those that surrender to the love of God and assume the consequences of this love in our daily lives.
´Pai- Chão´(Passion -is a play on words; ´`Pai´ meaning father and `chão´ meaning ground) is God who becomes flesh in our reality, He who puts His feet on our world to tell us in a way that we can understand, that He is love and loves us more than anything and will not leave us to our own fate.
Passion, intense love. Passion, suffering due to love. `Pai- Chão´ God´s love made human in every context of our lives. This is what the base-text for the IECLB Missionary Action Plan addresses. In more objective words, it speaks of the premises that allows us to understand our missionary task in this country and plan our action as a church that feels entrusted to announce the gospel everywhere, throughout the country, in the slum, in the suburbs, in the city and in all states of the Brazilian territory.
See the full text of PAMI 2008-2012
