As we know, our mission as BSMH calls us to extend the compassionate ministry of Jesus. While we obviously consider this mission in terms of the people we serve, does it somehow include “the world” itself? How so? After all, in the Christian Scriptures, Jesus himself seems to say that his mission is motivated by a God “who so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten Son…” (John 3:16).

In this activity, we will explore some of the ways our own love for the world builds up the ministry of compassion that we share together. Refresh your own ability to show compassionate caring by engaging these resources, focused on how love can change the world.

The world is constantly in motion. People going here and there in the skyways and byways, endlessly busy with whatever is in front of them. The constant motion of the world and the people within it can take quite a toll on both the earth and those who reside on it. Although the pandemic that began in 2020 was a horrible thing around the world, one positive outcome was that the motion of the world stopped for a bit of time, giving the world a much-needed rest. Air became cleaner, people were home with their families, and we can imagine that Mother Nature smiled with a sigh of relief.

Like individuals, our world also experiences the challenge of waiting. We wait for peace to be restored, we wait for political decisions to be made that will promote justice and affirm the dignity of all members of the human family, we wait for environmental solutions to our climate challenges, we wait, we wait, we wait. But waiting is not the same as being passive. Rather just as in our personal lives, waiting can be active, transforming the waiting into opportunities for growth in virtue and solidarity. The following activities will help us realize how our growth in active waiting can bring genuine benefit to the world.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the definition of the word journey is “an act of traveling from one place to another.” Journeys can be for our own knowledge and entertainment, such as visiting a place we have not been before, or they could be part of a journey to help those around the world, making a difference in the lives of others. Both types of journeys have positives outcomes and effects, both enhance our lives, and the lives of others we meet along the way. Journeys are not always easy, and sometimes they stretch us beyond our limits, all for the good of God’s people. For example, St. Paul journeys to Rome in the height of Jewish persecution, in order to spread the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 21:16-28:31). It wasn’t easy by any means, but it was for the good of God’s people, and benefitted many.

The definition of the word blessing is to be in God’s favor and protection. This definition includes not only our interpersonal relationships but also our relationship with nature and the global community. There are many passages in the bible that speaks of God’s blessing upon all of God’s creation. In the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus assures his disciples of the gift of the Holy Spirit and commissions them to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (USCCB) God calls each of us to be a source of blessing to one another but also to the global community and the earth itself. The following activities help the flow of God’s blessing to increase in and for our world.

As we walk this journey of life with each other and as a ministry, we are committed to our mission to be the compassionate presence of Jesus to one another. We remember that Jesus called for people to love their neighbors as themselves, encouraging us to see everyone as our neighbor. Through his inclusive definition of neighbor, Jesus calls us to contribute to the well-being of our colleagues, the communities we serve, and the broader human community. One way to contribute to the good of the larger community is through showing kindness to others. Kindness is an action that shows the innate love of God from one person to another, involving a generosity and goodness of heart that seeks to advance the well-being of others. This activity promotes practices to increase kindness in the lives of those in our community and workplace.

As we pass through these difficult times as a ministry, we are committed to our mission to be the compassionate presence of Jesus to one another. We remember that Jesus called for people to love their neighbors as themselves, encouraging us to see everyone as our neighbor. Through his inclusive definition of neighbor, Jesus calls us to contribute to the common good. One way to contribute to the good of the larger community is through practices that promote joy. Joy is a deep, abiding appreciation and acceptance of God’s love for us, a love that brings peace, gratitude, and hope, even in times of adversity and loss. This activity promotes practices to increase joy in the lives of those in our community.