Fray Renz Calex C.

Soriano, OAR March 6, 2019

Order of the Augustinian Recollects Fr. Edgar Javier, SVD

MISSIOLOGY:
“The Work of God, the Work of Christ
and the Work of the Holy Spirit handed over to Man”

The article entitled “Theology of Missions or of Missions?” by Giancarlo Collet

deliberates about the missionary work of the Church. It gives us the idea of the Church’s effort
to encapsulate the development of the Magisterium of the Church. Thus, mission is the
undertaking of a community to be nurtured by receiving receiving the word of God and in the
partaking of wine and bread in the Holy Eucharist. On the other hand, there is an insightful
mutual relationship between the Church mission and the mission of God as embedded in the
oneness of the Divine Trinity. Although the Church may be missionary in nature, it is necessary
to keep in mind that mission is the primordial work of the trinity. Hence, as what Father Edgar
Javier, SVD stated, it is the Mission of God, the Mission of Christ and the work of the Holy
Spirit.

Furthermore, the article paid particular attention to the idea that humans serve as
instruments of Christ. The mission that Jesus Christ had gone through his earthly journey, is
nowadays, happened to be our mission as we are members of the Church who belongs to under
one head; that is, Jesus Christ. As such, by virtue of our baptism, we are made worthy of this
mission because we are God’s adopted sons and daughters. Overall, the good works and deeds
that the incarnate Son had done in his earthly life, we, the missionaries, are entrusted to do the
same.

To sum up, the article enkindles the missionaries as they are all commended to this
mission for the development and betterment of the Mother Church. Moreover, Jesus is
imparting to us that we have to continue his mission through our participation in his Father’s
purpose of sending his Son here on earth; that is, for the salvation of humankind. As what Jesus
said in the Gospel according to Matthew 28: 19-20, "Go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them
to do everything that I had commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of
the age”, this commissioning was given to the apostles and has been handed over not only to
the missionaries but to all the faithful who do believe in Christ up to the present time.1

1 Giancarlo Collet, Theology of Mission or of Missions? The Treatment of a controversial Term,

85-91.