The Mission of the Redeemer: From the Eucharist to the Ends of the Earth!
In 1990, Redemptoris Missio reaffirmed what the Church has always known: the missionary mandate of Christ remains urgent today.
The mission of the Church is not finished.
Saint Pope John Paul II reminded the world that proclaiming Christ to those who do not yet know Him (ad gentes) remains a permanent responsibility of the Church.
Christ’s command still echoes:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
The Gospel is not one spiritual option among many.
Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world.
The Eucharist: Source and Summit of Mission
Mission does not begin with programs or strategy.
It begins at the altar.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is:
“The source and summit of the Christian life.”
From the Eucharist flows the life of the Church.
And toward the Eucharist every mission ultimately returns.
When we encounter Christ in the Eucharist, we are sent out into the world.
The Mass does not end with private devotion.
It ends with a sending: “Go in peace.”
Mission begins there.
Mother Teresa: Mission Born from the Eucharist
Few witnesses embodied this truth more clearly than Mother Teresa.
Her work among the poorest of the poor in Calcutta was not merely humanitarian service. It was missionary love rooted in daily prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.
She famously said:
“The time you spend with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the best time you will spend on earth.”
Her sisters began every day with the Eucharist and Eucharistic adoration.
From that encounter with Christ flowed radical love for the poor, the dying, and the abandoned.
For Mother Teresa, the Eucharist and mission were inseparable.
The Christ received in the Eucharist was the same Christ encountered in the suffering.
Mission in Our Time
The call of Redemptoris Missio remains urgent.
Millions still live without access to the Gospel, the sacraments, and the life-giving presence of the Church.
Mission today means bringing both the love of Christ and the dignity of human life to places where suffering and poverty still threaten life itself.
At Caritas Veritate Missions and LiftLife Global Health, this missionary call takes concrete form through efforts to support maternal health, maternity waiting homes, and life-saving care in places like Mwanbani, Tanzania.
These works are not simply development projects.
They are expressions of the Church’s missionary love flowing from the Eucharist.
From the altar to the ends of the earth, the mission continues.
Support the Mission
If you feel called to support this mission of life and dignity:
Visit:
www.CaritasVM.org
Together, we can bring hope, care, and the love of Christ to mothers and children in need.