2018 Ash Wednesday Mission, SoHo, February 14
Dear Missionaries in Christ,
In a few short days, we will be holding our 8th annual Ash Wednesday mission in So Ho. Whether you are a mission regular caught up in the spiritual high of delivering needy souls to the Lord for healing, or an interested but as yet uncommitted bystander of this "Are you crazy?" activity that goes on in the heart of trendy So Ho at strategic moments throughout the year-- please consider heading to So Ho next Wednesday. You will never regret having done this. In fact, if you think you might, please consider this: can you think of even one instance when you made a personal sacrifice for the Lord, and subsequently regretted doing so? I doubt it.
The theme of this year's mission is Confidence. A key attribute of our missionaries in So Ho, which so attracts lost souls year after year, is there very obvious, deep rooted confidence in their mission. We are Not Afraid . We are unshakable, which literally shakes people up. There are three deep roots of Christian confidence, which make for a very strong foundation indeed. Let's all focus and pray on these in the days ahead:
1. Faith. We believe in God. We believe in Jesus his son. We believe in the Holy Spirit which joins them. And we believe that we are their beloved children. Their love and protection equip us, arm us, bring us souls, even give us with the right words at just the right moment. Those of us who have doubted this before our first adventure with Jesus on the streets of New York have never doubted it on the way back home. We know we are called not because we are equipped, not because we are holy, and not because we are gifted. We are called because We believe. He will equip us.
2. Hope. We hope in Jesus, in his conquering of death through the cross. We hope in a better, eternal life with him when our time here is done. Our hope in the eternal makes the small inconveniences of the mission in SoHo ("It's cold!", "I'm hungry!", "I'm tired of being spoken rudely to!", "Do they know how important I am?!?" etc.), seem like just that-- small, fleeting discomforts. Our hope in the eternal give us the strange ability to smile calmly back to a stressed, strayed soul, clearly in need but also "in a hurry to get to-- [nowhere]", and remind them of this simple math: eternity minus the 15 minutes they "can't afford" is still eternity.
3. Love. Our love of Jesus compels us. Our love of every soul we meet moves us. And His love, through us, conquers the hate, despair, and fear we find on the streets. Read any of the blogs from missions past on the Regnum Christi website. Love never fails.
So, as you are planning what to do this Ash Wednesday, consider getting your Lenten journey off to an incredible, fearless, spiritual jumpstart. Be Not Afraid. March confidently down to SoHo. Bring with you St. Paul's three great gifts, nothing more. They are all you need.
A Missionary
February 6, 2018
