Today is Saturday, March 7, 2026: a day nestled within the second week of our Lenten journey. As we move deeper into this season of penance and preparation, the Church offers us a set of readings from the USCCB that speak directly to the core of what it means to be a "missionary disciple."
Often, when we hear the word "missionary," we think of someone traveling across oceans to remote villages. While that is a vital part of our Church’s history and current reality, the call to mission is much closer to home. It begins with a movement of the heart. Today, I want to walk through the scriptures for this Saturday and see how they guide us in discerning our unique missionary calling, especially through the lens of supporting those who lead our mission churches: our local clergy and seminarians.
The Shepherd’s Heart: Micah and the Mercy of God
In the first reading from the Prophet Micah (Mi 7:14-15, 18-20), we hear a beautiful plea: "Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance." This imagery of the shepherd is foundational to the missionary spirit. To have a missionary calling is to share in the "Shepherd’s Heart."
Micah reminds us that God does not persist in anger but delights in clemency. He will "cast into the depths of the sea all our sins." For a missionary, this is the message we are "sent" to deliver. Before we can go out and form others, we must first experience this mercy ourselves. In the context of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, this shepherding takes a very concrete form: the formation of local priests in mission territories. These men are called from their own communities to be the shepherds who stay, who know the "smell of the sheep," and who manifest God’s mercy in places where the Church is still young.
The Gospel of the Father's Mission: The Prodigal Son
The Gospel reading for today is one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture: the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32). While we often focus on the "prodigal" son’s rebellion or the elder brother’s resentment, let’s look at it through a missionary lens.
The Father in this story is the ultimate missionary. He is the one who "sees him while he was still a long way off" and "ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." The Father does not wait in the house for the son to complete a formal apology; he goes out to meet him. This "going out" is the essence of mission.
As Catholics, finding our missionary calling often means identifying who the "younger brothers" are in our lives: those who have wandered far from the Father's house: and who the "elder brothers" are: those who are present but whose hearts have grown cold or legalistic. A missionary is the one who bridges these gaps, reflecting the Father’s inclusive, exuberant love.
Connecting the Word to the Work of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle
When we look at the needs of the global Church, we see that the Father’s house is expanding. In many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Islands, the "mission" is flourishing. However, a growing Church needs leaders. This is where the Society of St. Peter the Apostle comes in.
Established in 1889 by Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard, this society focuses on a very specific and essential mission: supporting the education and formation of local clergy and religious sisters in mission territories. Why is this so important for your own missionary calling? Because your calling might not be to go to a mission territory, but to be the "sender."
By supporting local seminarians, you are ensuring that the "Father’s house" has shepherds who can welcome the prodigals home in their own language and within their own culture.
Five Steps to Discerning Your Missionary Calling
The USCCB has often highlighted a framework for missionary discipleship that we can apply to today’s readings. If you are sitting with the Word today and asking, "Lord, where are you sending me?" consider these five steps:
- Encounter: Like the younger son, have you had a moment of "coming to your senses" and encountering God's mercy? You cannot give what you do not have.
- Accompany: Who is God asking you to walk with? Is it a family member who has left the faith, or perhaps a seminarian halfway across the world whom you support through prayer and alms?
- Community: Mission is not a solo sport. We are part of the Body of Christ. Strengthening your local parish is a missionary act because it prepares the "house" for the return of the lost.
- Form: This is the heart of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle. We must form our hearts through the Word and support the formation of those called to the priesthood.
- Send: Finally, we are sent. This might mean speaking up about your faith at work, or it might mean a financial commitment to help build a seminary in a mission land.
The Role of Local Clergy in the Mission
It is a powerful thing to realize that the Church’s goal is not to keep "missionary" status forever in a region, but to establish a local, self-sustaining Church. This is why the work of supporting seminarians is so vital. When a young man in Nigeria or Vietnam is ordained, he is a sign that the Gospel has taken root in that soil.
These local priests are the ones who will hear the confessions of the modern-day "prodigals" in their communities. They will be the ones breaking the Bread of Life. By directing our Lenten almsgiving toward the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, we are directly participating in the "sending" phase of the Gospel.
Practical Discernment: Where Do You Fit?
As you reflect on today's readings, I invite you to ask yourself these questions:
- Am I the Elder Brother? Am I resenting the mercy God shows to others? If so, my missionary calling today is one of internal conversion: to ask for a heart that rejoices when the lost are found.
- Am I the Younger Brother? Am I just starting my journey back to the Father? My mission is to be a witness to the "clemency" Micah speaks of.
- Am I the Father? Am I in a position to "run out" and meet someone with love? Am I in a position to provide for the "feast": the resources needed for the Church to grow?
For many of us, our missionary calling in this season of life is to be the spiritual and financial backbone of the global mission. We provide the "staff" with which the shepherds lead the flock.
A Mission That Lasts
The work of the Pontifical Mission Societies is not just about emergency relief; it is about building the future. When we invest in a seminarian, we are investing in decades of Sacraments, thousands of homilies, and a permanent presence of the Church in a place that desperately needs hope.
If you feel a tug in your heart while reading about the Father’s mercy today, it might be a call to learn more about how you can support the next generation of mission priests. You can find more information on how we support these vocations here: The Society of St. Peter the Apostle.
Closing Reflection
Lent is a time of stripping away the unnecessary so we can hear the "Still, Small Voice." Today’s readings from Micah and Luke tell us that God is a God of return, recovery, and rejoicing.
Your missionary calling is not a burden; it is an invitation to join in the Father’s joy. Whether you are called to serve in your neighborhood or to support a seminarian in a distant land, you are an essential part of the "Missionary Church."
Let us pray for all our seminarians and local clergy today, that they may have the courage of the Father to go out and meet those who are "still a long way off."
Peace be with you on this Lenten journey.
– Fr. Deji