Beyond Sunday / May 16, 2023

Made for Mission

In light of Jesus’ great commission to the apostles and the promise of the Holy Spirit in this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Rakhi and Nicole break open how we as families can faithfully live on mission, in a way that communicates God’s love to the world. They talk about Archbishop Vigneron’s directives to families in Unleash the Gospel, and encourage families to seek out ways they can build a strong culture by living with intentionality.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by PIME missionaries. PIME Missionaries, are Catholic Priests and Brothers who dedicate themselves to be lifelong messengers of the Gospel to those who have not yet heard the Word of God. You can support their work by sponsoring children and youth, people with disabilities, seminarians, and their development projects through Sponsorships at a Distance. Learn more about how your gift can make a difference at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships.

Show Notes

(02:12) Rakhi and Nicole open up this episode by talking about family mission statements. They highlight this weekend’s Gospel reading, which features the commissioning of the disciples and Jesus’ promise of sending the Spirit.

(06:46) They talk about how the idea of a family mission can feel out of reach in the midst of the demands of parenthood. They define mission as being a family’s foundation, at the heart of what they do. They distinguish this type of mission from the call to a life of missionary service, but note how both are a response to doing what God has asked.

(11:27) Nicole cites a Guidepost 7 of Unleash the Gospel in which Archbishop Vigneron encourages families to invite others into their imperfect family life. She highlights where he invites families to reclaim Sunday and intentionally live out the Sabbath.

(14:13) They talk about the different ways that families can communicate God’s love to the world in their own unique ways.

(16:44) They dive into what it means to “reclaim Sunday” and make it feel different from the other days of the week. They talk about the power of food in liturgical life, limiting screen time, and trying to get chores done before Sunday. They also mention how they pray with their families on Sundays, in addition to attending Mass. They share the struggle but also the importance of creating boundaries around Sunday and faith formation opportunities for their children.

(21:45) They talk about how their family mission creates their family culture. They talk about the intentionality required to build a strong family culture. They discuss what it means to be set apart and how living a family mission can set a family apart from the rest of the culture in a way that communicates God’s love.

(25:02) They recommend that listeners seek out a saint to intercede for their family and lean on them to pray for them as they live out their mission. They remind listeners to use 52 Sundays to find practical tools to reclaim Sunday and unleash the Gospel as a family. They encourage listeners to look at the 7 challenges in Action Step 1.3 offered to families by Archbishop Vigneron in Unleash the Gospel, and to consider how they can incorporate them into their lives.

This episode of Beyond Sunday is sponsored by the PIME Missionaries. The PIME Missionaries are Catholic Priests and Brothers changing lives and sharing the merciful joy of Christ with those who need it most through the PIME Sponsorships at a Distance Program. Become a PIME Sponsor today and bring lasting change to the life of a child, youth, person living with disabilities, or seminarian. Learn about the impact that you can have at pimeusa.org/52sponsorships.