St. Paul's Church, Musaffah

Dear Parishioners, Greetings of Love, Joy and Peace.
October 1 marks the Feast Day of St Theresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Patroness of all Missionaries and the Missions.  October 2019 has been dedicated as the Extraordinary Missionary Month.  It reminds us as Baptized and as Christians, how we can be sharers in the mission of the Church, to be courageous and zealous in bearing witness to the Gospel of saving love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Theresa of Child Jesus expressed her fervent wish to serve God as a missionary with these words: “In spite of my littleness, I would like to enlighten souls… But…one mission alone would not be sufficient for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all the five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles. I would be a missionary, not for a few years only, but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.”
"What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God and prayed for all missionaries. This made her the Patroness of Missionaries.
Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." I call it "Little Missions," it’s the little things. Whatever it is in life – it’s the little things: At home, At work, With your spouse, and your kids, with any relationship, trying to rid yourself of a vice. 
It’s the little things…it’s the little things… and you string enough of the little things together and it results in something big. Something better. But you have to be patient. And you have to have the right goal in mind. It’s why I love the Little Way of St. Therese. Simple to understand. Simple in thinking. But big in power. 
Everything in my life, every life changing event, every giant leap forward after a couple steps back – has resulted from little decisions.  Some minor adjustment.  The little thing…
“The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will.”  'Do little things what God wants with great love.'
When you hear the word mission or missionary – what comes to mind? But more often than not, it’s the little missions. 
Jesus didn’t send His disciples out to convert all in one dive. He sent them out from town to town, from house to house, from family to family. He sent them out on a bunch of little missions.
That’s all He asks of us. Each day is a day of little missions. We get up. We go to work, whether it is in an office or the home. We do our work, and then we come home to our family, maybe we interact with others in the community in some way, and then we go to bed, and then do it all over again. 
In the midst and in-between, we have little missions. Encounters and interactions with people. Using our gifts and talents and abilities. Being kind and respectful. Helping others along the way. If we chain all of these together throughout the day, a bunch of little differences can work together to make a big difference in the world around us and in others’ lives. 
It is truly only by striving to do God’s will in everything, in all these Little Missions throughout the day that will truly bring you a lasting purpose and passion in helping others and bring others to Christ.
I think that is why the Apostles were able to do what they did. They made a difference in others’ lives and brought others to Christ, not because it made them feel good or because it was easy, or because it fit their plan… They did it because it was Gods will, and they trusted in Him and in His calling. And then they strung together a bunch of Little Missions that changed the world. 
October 2019 has been declared as Extraordinary Missionary Month. Holy Father Pope Francis has indicated how to live the Extraordinary Missionary Month, by indicating the theme "Baptized and sent: the Church of Christ on mission in the world." Awakening the awareness of the missio ad gentes and resuming the responsibility for the proclamation of the Gospel with new enthusiasm.
There are four dimensions, indicated to us by the Pope, to live more intensely the journey of preparation and realization of the Extraordinary Missionary Month October 2019:

1. The personal encounter with Jesus Christ alive in His Church through the Eucharist, the Word of God, personal and community prayer;
2. The witness: the saints, the martyrs of the mission and the confessors of the faith, expression of the Churches scattered throughout the world;
3. Missionary formation: writing, catechesis, spirituality and theology;
4. Missionary charity.

Let us remember what St. Theresa of Calcutta said, “Do little things with great love.” Hence, let us not ignore doing little things, like acknowledging a favor by saying a sincere “thank you,” or congratulating others for their success, or sharing in their sorrows and offering them help and support in their needs. This month as we celebrate Extraordinary Missionary Month and Mission Sunday. It is again a reminder for us how we can help others who are less fortunate than us. We pray for them as well as do our 'little thing with great love' to help them.
This month we also dedicate as the month of Rosary. We celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Rosary on October 7^th. Let us pray to Our Lady of the Rosary and we ask the Virgin Mary to help us to cultivate a habit of interior prayer through the daily recitation of the rosary. As we hold rosary, let us experience holding the hands of our beloved Mother Mary. And let Mary bring us close to Jesus and to our mission.
We can do this 'little mission,' Day by day. Moment by moment. Mission by mission.
 
Fr. Maxim Cardoza, OFM Cap.