The Mission Statement of Jesus

Distinct Contributions of CICM in the World

The mission of Jesus is liberating, transforming, salvific. It liberates man from all forms of
miseries and evil. It penetrates all dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an
evangelizer. one who teaches and proclaims the Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer,
He proclaims the kingdom of God and the center of His Good News is salvation, this great
gift Of God which is liberation from everything that oppresses man but which is above all
liberation from sin and the Evil One. The Church and all her members must participate in
this evangelizing and liberating mission, drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest
evangelizer. Witnessing to the Gospel is always given importance.

The Mission Statement of Jesus (LK. 4:18-20)

“The spirit of the lord is upon me, because He has chosen me to bring good news to the poor…”
Jesus entrusted the mission of evangelization to His disciples and
they accepted it. Preaching., teaching and deeds of power (healings and
exorcisms) are three expressions of the kingdom proclamation. The twelve, symbolizing the
twelve tribes of Israel are sent out primarily to form an alternative community based on the
new teaching of divine holiness.

It is this "new teaching – with authority!" that Jesus has given the
twelve. This is what they have assimilated, and this is what they are
asked to share with others. In order to be successful, the new way of thinking and acting
they have learned from Jesus must be integrated. How they work with people to create a
more inclusive sense of community is as important as healing and exorcising. Therefore,
Jesus gives them instructions which are both practical and symbolic.

They must go out as witnesses to the new way of life Jesus has inaugurated. Walking stick
and sandals both facilitate travel yet they were instructed to take nothing for the trip, and
they are to spread the Good News from place to place. They are not to settle down. Their
single tunic captures this single-mindedness: they are men on a mission. Without bread, bag
and money, they become part of those in need. Their lack of provisions elicits the
compassion that is the cornerstone of the new community.

Such mission which Jesus entrusted to the disciples is liberating,

transforming salvific. It liberates man from all forms of miseries, and evil. It penetrates all
dimensions and strata of life. Christ, our Savior, is an evangelizer, one who teaches and
proclaims the Good News of salvation. As an evangelizer, He proclaims the kingdom of
God and the center of His Good News is salvation, this great gift of God which is liberation
from everything that oppresses man but which is above all liberation from sin and the evil
one.

The Church and all her members must participate in this evangelizing and liberating
mission, drawn from the very mission of Christ, the greatest evangelizer. Witnessing to the
Gospel is always given importance. Doing this entails a personal conversion which begins
from one's own heart, for such is the demand of the kingdom which Jesus inaugurated. What
then, are the characteristics of the kingdom?

Today, we can start reflecting on some questions that point to the reality of the kingdom.
Are the poor not discriminated by the society? Are the sick being tended to and cared for?
Are there people trying to make peace? Are there people who promote justice and are
prepared to die to see it accomplished? Are there people and institutions committed to
healing brokenness and alienation? In other words, are there people today trying to carry on
the work Of Jesus? DO we give our share or contribution for the promotion of the kingdom?
If we want transformation, then it must begin with an urgency to change one's own heart
first.

"We cannot teach the demands of the kingdom to others if we do not exert effort to live by
its principles (Knox, Ian, 2011)."
It is therefore our duty to work for the accomplishment of such salvation for all peoples by
eliminating poverty, injustice and oppression, enslavement of peoples by war, exploitation
of the
powerless by the greedy. We have to make the salvation offered by God a reality. Jesus has
brought salvation; we are living in the new age of
salvation. We should be experiencing its effects now; otherwise, how could we possibly
experience the grace of Christ, which makes our life better now?

Reiterating what the Church "For the Church, documents tell us, evangelizing means
bringing the Good News into all the strata of humanity, and through its influence
transforming humanity from within and making it new: “Now I am making the whole of
creation new." (E.N. 18)

Such a challenge of bringing social transformation is clear. This is a call to all the faithful of
God, a call to renew His entire creation. In their response to such call, the CICM
missionaries, particularly in the Philippines are one in saying; "We - the CICM Philippine
Province, an International Community of Religious Missionaries dedicated to the Incarnate
Word under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, with the inspiration of
Théophile Verbist and his companions, and sent to the nations particularly to where we are
most needed — Commit ourselves to proclaim Christ and foster the missionary
consciousness of the local church through our joyful and prophetic witness. and to keep
alive a pioneerinq spirit in our involvements."

This they realize in the different ministries/apostolates and advocacies they have - pastoral,
health care, education, interreligious dialogue, IP's, etc. Their witnessing to the Gospel of
Christ is a powerful means of bringing social transformation to a reality.
The CICM, being an international missionary congregation, dedicated to the Incarnate
Word, takes this mandate as its primordial concern. This they realize in the different areas
of the world where they are stationed. As missionaries, they have their distinct contributions
to the world as indicated below:

1. Pioneering/Daring Spirit

2. Multiculturality

3. Social Transformation