The Church’s Universal Mission Lived Out — By NATHAN FRANKART

By NATHAN FRANKART

Peace of Christ to you! After consistently writing in the parish newsletter for the last two and half years, I am sorry to say that I will be taking a break over the coming summer months. It certainly is not because I have run out of ideas or that I have lost the passion to write more articles! Rather, it has to do with the recent opportunity that I am taking advantage over these summer months, which prevents me from writing consistently.

Well, what is this new opportunity? It is directly related to Pope Francis’ comments on our roles as missionaries for the Catholic Church. He tells us that “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony, go out and interact with your brothers, go out and share, go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit.” This stems from Christ’s universal call to proclaim the Gospel to all people and to all nations, that we should be emboldened by the Holy Spirit to lead lives of true Christian discipleship in our words and actions. How we choose to answer this universal call depends on our season in life, and what we can devote our time, talent, and treasure towards in building the Kingdom of God on Earth.

So, what is that for me? It’s being a missionary for the high-adventure camp based out of Centerburg, Ohio — Catholic Youth Summer Camp! This camp is run by Damascus Ministries, who prioritize creating an adventurous and prayerful environment for young people to have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. As a missionary fulfilling the role of counselor, I will be walking with new groups of high school teens every week, encouraging them to dive deeper into their faith, and challenge them to live more authentic lives. It will be a long, difficult, joyous, incredible summer for myself, and in a special way, I ask for your prayers. May the Lord complete the good work that He has started with Damascus Ministries, and may He perfect myself and my fellow missionaries to spread the Gospel to all who we will encounter this summer!