By our baptism, we are called to share in the threefold ministry of Christ: as king, prophet, and priest. Today’s liturgy emphasizes this special calling and the need to embrace the prophetic mission in our contemporary world, aligning with the mission of Gratia Vobis Ministry (GVM): “To inspire, foster spiritual growth, and equip individuals and communities from diverse cultures to be active instruments of God’s grace, love, healing, and unity in everyday life through accessible virtual and face-to-face resources.”
The Call to Evangelization
Reflecting on these scriptural passages, the words “call,” “mission,” and “proclamation” stand out. Our baptism charges us with the responsibility of evangelization. Just as the Apostles and Amos were tasked with delivering the message of repentance to Israel, we, too, have a mission to reach out to our brothers and sisters.
How do we fulfill our mission in today’s world? Amaziah, a priest, misinterpreted his mission by succumbing to the allure of money, losing his ability to convey God’s truth to the king. He chose to tell the king only what he wanted to hear. When Amos arrived, Amaziah saw him as a threat and expelled him from Bethel. These two prophets represent two types of messengers: one who faithfully delivers God’s message and one who panders to popular opinion. Where do we fit in? What is our role in GVM, and which type of prophet are we?
Embracing the Prophetic Mission
People naturally resist the truth. Jesus warned His disciples about this reality when sending them out. He advised them to move on if they were not welcomed, simply dusting off their sandals. In our world, where falsehoods often overshadow the truth, our mission as Christians and members of GVM is to speak the truth and confront the vices of our time.
Jesus sent His apostles in pairs to affirm the truth and support one another. Isn’t this the GVM vision? “To be a leading global faith-based hub where individuals and communities across cultures draw inspiration and accessibility, and high-quality tools for living God’s grace of love, healing, and unity in their everyday life.”
Today, it is disheartening to see Christians failing to support one another, sometimes not prioritizing aid for those outside their faith denomination. We engage in backbiting, gossiping, sabotage, and even deceit. We harm each other through unhealthy competition while the poor suffer. How can we effectively evangelize without unity? Jesus also instructed His disciples not to carry excess for their journey, teaching them to trust in divine providence and not be preoccupied with material possessions.
Preaching Christ in our world today is urgent — caring for the poor, the vulnerable, and those marginalized by society should be our foremost concern as Christ’s disciples. This is our call to embrace our prophetic mission as baptized believers, standing firm in prayer, desire, and planning for a global mission to bring the good news to the poor.
[Readings for Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Amos 7:12-15; Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10; Mark 6:7-13]
Related articles
