Society
Of The Divine Word

From this perspective, let us consider three aspects of our missionary discipleship:

Letting ourselves be shaped by Jesus
Jesus helps us discern the path of mission, which belongs to God and to which we have been called as collaborators. We need the guidance of the Master, to renew our discipleship in him and through him, to refresh the Verbite mysticism of our missionary consecration in the service of the Kingdom. We will be faithful and creative to the extent that our fundamental motivation remains anchored in the heart of the Gospel—that is, in an unconditional commitment to God’s mission, resisting hedonistic and self-referential temptations. The greater the difficulties and challenges along the way, the deeper our determination must become to strengthen the first and fundamental motivation for which we walk.

Being “wounded healers”
The 150 years of our congregational journey represent an invaluable treasure of learning. This wealth of wisdom is far greater than any personal disappointment or frustration we may have experienced in our missionary service. Beyond our human fragility, the grace of the Triune God overflows, whose mercy continues to guide history toward the full reconciliation of all people and all creation in Christ.

Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, the journey outward, away from community, seems longer when we remain enclosed in “our own story” than the return to and reunion with others, once we recognize our communion with them in the Risen Lord. Our wounds can only be healed in the wounds of Christ, who entrusts us with the mission and empowers us to witness reconciliation and healing. We embrace our wounded humanity because we are committed, in hope, to a redeemed humanity.

Embracing the “hope that does not disappoint”
Our hope, grounded in God’s fidelity, continues to be the driving force of our mission. It enables us to maintain joy in the midst of difficulties, sustain strength amid limitations, nourish our commitment in the face of selfish attitudes, bear witness to truth in the midst of mediocrity, and remain open to the Spirit’s newness even when faced with apathy. Excuses and justifications for inaction or for following an individual path lose their meaning against this background.
It is encouraging to strengthen one another by fixing our eyes, our hearts, and our steps on Jesus’ promise of abundant life, convinced that “evangelization is always a communal process.”(3)

Together, religious and lay missionaries of the Divine Word, we sustain our commitment to grow and to help others grow in a synodal and missionary ecclesial community.

(1) Mensaje del Papa Francisco para el Domingo Mundial de las Misiones 2025 (San Juan de Letrán, Roma, 25 de enero de 2025). 

(2) Ibid 

(3) Ibid