DIVINE WORD SEMINARY TAGAYTAY

MISSIO TRINITATIS: A DIALOGUE OF LOVE

A MISSION SYNTHESIS PAPER SUBMITTED TO

THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGY,

MAJOR IN MISSION STUDIES

BY

JOEL A. MALVAS JR., SVD

FR. EDGAR G. JAVIER, SVD, STL, D. Miss.

MODERATOR

TAGAYTAY CITY, PHILIPPINES

MAY 2020
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page Iii

Table of Contents iii

I. Introduction 01

A. Background of the Study 01

B. Statement of the Problem 02
C. Significance of the Study 02
D. Objectives of the Study 03
E. Scope and Limitation of the Study 03
F. Definition of Terms 04
G. Methodology 06
H. Organization of the Study 06

II. What is Missio Trinitatis? 08

A. The Mission of the Father (source and goal of mission) 14

B. The Mission of the Son (mediator of mission) 15
C. The Mission of the Holy Spirit (sanctifier of mission) 18

III. Why is Missio Trinitatis Significant Today? 20

A. The New Paradigm of Mission 21

B. From Exclusivism to Inclusivism 22

IV. Mission Strategies to Promote Missio Trinitatis 26

A. Education and Formation 26

B. Social Communications 28
C. Christian Family: The Cornerstone of Missio Trinitatis 31

V. Conclusion 34

A. Summary 34
B. Findings 35
C. Recommendations 36

References 37
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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

This paper is entitled “Missio Trinitatis: A Dialogue of Love.” It is a discussion of the

paradigm shift in the understanding of mission since the Second Vatican Council. Lumen

Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church “was instrumental for the emergence of this

paradigm shift. It became a catalyst for change that inspired a new understanding of mission as

missio Trinitatis – that is, mission is God’s mission. It is rooted in the Trinity as the origin and

goal of mission.”1 The shift focused on mission as God’s attribute rather than that of the Church.

Thus, mission is understood as belonging to God. It is God’s attribute.

“God is a missionary God and his people are the partakers of his mission. The Church,

the new people of God, is a partaker and participant in the mission of God.”2 The Decree on the

Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes Divinitus clearly states that “the pilgrim Church is

missionary by its very nature.”3 It is missionary because it has originated from the Father who

1
Edgar G. Javier, “Missio Ad Gentes and the Local Church: Theological-Missiological Framework,”
Missio Inter Gentes 1, no. 2 (July 2015): 82.
2
Ibid.
3
Vatican II, Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes Divinitus, AAS 58 (1965), no. 2.
 4

out of love summoned her to partake and participate in his mission of bringing his love to all

peoples and nations, and creation.

The paradigm shift in mission has become a “breakthrough in the overall understanding

of the life and mission of the Church”4 from missio ecclesiae to missio Dei/ Trinitatis. Hence, a

new ecclesiology and a new missiology that speak of the Church as originally and essentially

missionary have emerged.

B. Statement of the Problem

Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-65), there has been a shift in the understanding

of the nature of mission. The shift is described as a shift from missio ecclesiae to missio

Dei/Trinitatis.5 This synthesis paper is about “Missio Trinitatis: A Dialogue of Love.” In

discussing the research problem, the following questions are given answers.

1. What is missio Trinitatis?

2. Why is missio Trinitatis significant today?

3. How can the Church promote missio Trinitatis?

C. Significance of the Study

4
Javier, “Missio Ad Gentes and the Local Church,” 83.
5
Stephen Bevans and Roger P. Schroeder, Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for Today (Quezon
City: Claretian Publications, 2005), 15; David J. Bosch, Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of
Mission (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1991), 389.
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John Paul II has called Vatican II as “the most important religious event of the twentieth

century.”6 It did not only produce important documents that made the church as the light to all

nations but documents that have reshaped the missionary activity of the church which is rooted

from the Holy Trinity. However, we could see that only some generations of peoples were given

the privilege to understand such important documents of the church. Not all have been given the

opportunity to grasp the meaning and essence of those documents. This mission synthesis paper

contributes to the understanding of missio Trinitatis as a new paradigm of mission. It provide

answers to the question why missio Trinitatis is relevant in the mission of the Church today.

Lastly, this paper contributes to bring about a transformation and change on the part of the newly

ordained presenter in his future ministry and mission. It provides him and the Society of the

Divine Word (SVD), the congregation where he belongs, a deep understanding of the missio

Trinitatis which is close not only to the congregation but to the Church and her missionary

activities as a whole.

D. Objectives of the Study

This mission synthesis paper aims to give light and simple understanding on what missio

Trinitatis is all about especially for the local Church and for the new people God in the

grassroots level. It sought to provide answers as to why missio Trinitatis is significant in today’s

mission. And finally, it aims to provide useful and essential source of reflection on mission areas

and horizons that help promote the profound mission of the Trinity.

E. Scope and Limitation of the Study

6
James H. Kroeger, Exploring the Treasures of Vatican II (Quezon City: Claretians Publications, 2011), 1.
 6

The focus of this synthesis paper is the missio Trinitatis as a new paradigm of mission. It

covers the concept, understanding and definition of missio Trinitatis according to the Second

Vatican Council and other important related documents of the Church. It intends to help the

reader to go deep into the meaning of mission with the help of selected insights and thoughts

from different missiologists/theologians past and present. This paper does not aim to provide

answers about missio Trinitatis on the doctrinal level. It is not a discussion of the doctrine of the

One Triune God but an exploration of the profundity of the missio Trinitatis in a missiological

and reflective manner.

F. Definition of Terms

“Missio Dei”/Trinitatis”: The Catholic understanding of mission after the Second

Vatican Council is missio Dei/Trinitatis. This new understanding stresses the trinitarian nature of

mission. It “originates from the plan of the Father and it has its origin in the mission of the Son

and the Holy Spirit.”7 God, who is a missionary God, out of love sent and gave humanity his

only begotten Son (John 3:16) to save all peoples and all of creation at all times and in all places.

It was the Son who promised to send an advocate, the Holy Spirit, to sanctify, empower and

sustain those who partake and participate in God’s mission. With that, the Church and the

apostles were empowered to continue the mission of the Son to proclaim that God is love. They

have chased new trails and new directions of carrying out the missio Trinitatis with the Trinity as

the source and goal of mission itself.

7
Vatican II, Ad Gentes, no. 2.
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Mission: Mission is “the mother of all theology.” 8 It comes from the Latin word missio

which means “a sending forth with a special message or with a special task to perform.” In Greek

it is called apostolè which means “to send and to announce.”9 Mission refers to “God’s

redemptive, historical initiative on behalf of His creation. It is first and foremost about God and

his redemptive purposes and initiatives in the world, quite apart from any actions or tasks or

strategies or initiatives the Church may undertake. To put it plainly, mission is far more about

God and who He is than about us and what we do.”10 Mission is “born of the salvific plan of

God.11 In short, it has God the Father as its locus of origin and as its absolute goal.

Dialogue: “Dialogue, in all its dimensions, is a fundamental and essential aspect of

promoting right relationships with adherents of other religions because it is a constituent aspect

of mission. It means that dialogue is at the core of every missionary activity today.” As a

significant and effective tool, “it is also a modality in doing mission in contemporary times

characterized by the difference, diversity and plurality. Here in Asia, it is exercised in a triple

dialogue: dialogue with Asian cultures, dialogue with the religions in the continent, and dialogue

with the poor in Asia.”12

8
Edgar G. Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology (Tagaytay City: Divine Word
Institute of Mission Studies, 2019), 4.
9
Joseph E. Champagne, Manual for Missionary Action, trans. Roy L. Laberge (Ontario: University of
Ottawa Press, 2005), 23.
10
Timothy C. Tennent, Invitation to World Missions: A Trinitarian Missiology for the Twenty-first Century
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 2010), 54-55.
11
Javier, “Missio Ad Gentes and the Local Church,” 90.
12
Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology, 37.
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Love (Koinonia): In Greek, it is called as Agapè which means self-giving love of one

who looks exclusively for the good of others. “Mission is born of the salvific plan of a loving

God. In God is a deep personal union between and among the Tri-personal God. This deep union

is described as communio or koinonia. It results from and is nourished by the self-emptying love

between, for and among the Tri-personal God.” David Bosch says that “in the missionary

awakening love became a powerful incentive – love as gratitude for God’s love in Christ and as a

devotion to him who so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16). This

kind of love, together with the desire to promote spiritual benefit for others gradually became a

dominant motif of mission.”13

G. Methodology

This paper is exploratory. It is basically a library research. The discussion begins with the

exploration of the concept “Missio Trinitatis.” This is followed by a theological reflection that

serves as the foundation of this concept. Finally, it proposes missiological strategies for the

promotion of mission as missio Trinitatis.

H. Organization of the Study

This paper has five chapters. Chapter I is the introductory chapter. It presents an overview

of the study. It is composed of (a) the background of the study; (b) the statement of the problem;

(c) the significance of the study; (d) objectives of the study; (e) the scope and limitation of the

study; (f) the definition of terms; (g) methodology; and (h) the organization of the study.

13
Bosch, Transforming Mission, 286.
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Chapter II is the embodiment of the mission synthesis. It speaks of the definition of

missio Trinitatis. It begins with the discussion of the paradigm shift of mission from missio

ecclesiae (mission of the Church) to missio Dei/Trinitatis (mission of God/Trinity). This chapter

has three sub-topics. First of which discusses the Father as the source and goal of mission; (b) the

mission of the Son (mediator of mission); and (c) the mission of the Holy Spirit (sanctifier of

mission).

Chapter III deals with the significance of mission in the life of the Church today. It starts

with the thought on the urgent need of a new model or paradigm of mission in this fast changing

world. It also presents missiological thoughts on the need to have a broader perspective in doing

mission; say for instance, the move from exclusivist to inclusivist perspective as well as

reflections on mission as a continual self-giving and self-revelation of God to all humanity and

creation.

Chapter IV provides old and new horizons to promote missio Trinitatis. It includes (a)

theological education and formation; (b) social communication not as a threat but as an

opportunity in promoting missio Trinitatis as a dialogue of love; and (c) the strengthening of the

Christian Family as a cornerstone of the Trinity and as a seed bed of values.

Chapter V is the concluding part of the synthesis. This closing chapter summarizes the

study and presents the findings as well as the recommendations for further exploration of the

topic and related themes for the researcher himself, for the SVD and for the Mother Church.
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CHAPTER II
WHAT IS MISSIO TRINITATIS?

The question that we want to explore is: “What is missio Trinitatis?”

The state of mission in the twentieth century has changed. 14 Among the Protestants,

mission understood as missio Dei, emerged. This new understanding emerged at the Wellingen

Conference of the World Council of Churches in 1952. The participants of the conference “saw

mission as the participation of the church in the missio Dei. The Church has no mission; rather,

mission is in the very essence of the Church.”15 Years later, missio Dei was articulated among

the Catholics as missio Trinitatis to emphasize the divine missions. It is a concept that is “richly

theological, ecumenical, and practical.”16

Mission is a dialogue of love between and among the Trinity. This idea is born of the

salvific plan of the mysterious God. Only God understands love. No human being can ever

understand why God loves us. God’s love is expressed in the communio between and among the

Tri-personal God. It is love shared that gives them life. This love is the centrifugal movement of

God’s love directed at humanity and creation. Thus, mission is a dialogue of love. 17

14
Antonio M. Pernia, “The State of the Mission Today,” Verbum SVD 55 (2014): 10.
15
Stephen B. Bevans, An Introduction to Theology in Global Perspective (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis
Books, 2009), 56.
16
Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology, 47.
17
Javier, “Missio Ad Gentes and the Local Church,” 84, 88, and 90.
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In the new image or model of mission, it is stressed that mission is not primarily an

activity of the Church, but an attribute of God. It emphasizes the concept that God is a

missionary God. Mission, therefore, belongs to God; it belongs to the Tri-personal God.

Moreover, it is pointed out that “it is not the Church that has a mission of salvation to fulfil in the

world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the Church.”18

David Bosch explains: “The classical doctrine of the missio Dei as God the Father sending the

Son, and God the Father and the Son sending the Spirit, was expanded to include yet another

‘movement’: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit sending the Church into the world.”19

Consequent to the new image of mission, Bosch further states:

Mission is thereby seen as a movement from God to the world; the Church
is viewed as an instrument for that mission. There is a Church because
there is mission, not vice versa. To participate in mission is to participate
in the movement of God’s love toward people, since God is a fountain of
sending love.20

Mission then is a movement from the Trinity. As a movement, it flows from the Trinity

being “the center and origin of mission. . . The Church is important only because it is part of

God’s mission (missio Dei).”21 This is an affirmation that the Trinity is “the center and origin of

18
Bosch, Transforming Mission, 390.
19
Ibid.
20
Ibid.
21
Roger Schroeder, “Mission in Roman Catholic Theology,” in Christian Mission, Contextual Theology,
Prophetic Dialogue: Essays in Honor of Stephen B. Bevan, SVD, ed. Dale T. Irvin and Peter C. Phan (Maryknoll,
New York: Orbis Books, 2018), 23.
 12

mission.”22 There is a shift of understanding of the center and origin of mission from the church

to the Trinity. Hence, a new theology of mission emerged.

Roger Schroeder further elucidates that “mission is an invitation to the unfathomable

mystery of God, the acknowledgement of God’s surprising presence outside of Christianity, and

the grounding of the church itself in God’s mission. 23 Thus, mission is seen as being attached to

“the Trinity with its dual emphasis on oneness and threeness as equally ultimate.” 24 Hence, there

is only one mission [of God] - the mission of love - concretized by three divine missions.

But who is God, the Tri-personal God that is the origin and center of mission? Since the

origins of Christianity, believers have looked for the “vestigia Trinitatis” (“traces of the Trinity”)

or hints of the Tripersonal God to be found in the created world and, especially, in human beings.

According to Gerald O’Collins,

Augustine of Hippo saw the Trinity mirrored in human knowing and

loving. Martin Buber’s philosophy encourages those who find hints of the
Trinity in the I-Thou-We of interpersonal relationships. Such openness to
the vestigia Trinitatis has peculiar significance in the contemporary
interreligious dialogue. Some find in Hindu thought a kind of Trinitarian
triad in the scheme of “being, awareness of being, and consciousness of
being”25

22
Robert J. Schreiter, “Changes in Roman Catholic Attitudes toward Proselytism and Mission,” in New
directions in Mission and Evangelization 2: Theological Foundations, ed. James Scherer and Stephen B. Bevans
(Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1994), 113-25.
23
Schroeder, “Mission in Roman Catholic Theology,” 31.
24
See Kevin J. Vanhoozer, “Introduction” to The Trinity in a Pluralistic Age: Theological Essays on
Culture and Religion, Kevin J. Vanhoozer, ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1997), x.
25
Gerald O’Collins, The Tripersonal God: Understanding and Interpreting the Trinity (New
York/Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1999), 160.
 13

O’Collins further explains:

The time of the Church, the interim between the resurrection of the
crucified Jesus and his final second coming in glory, is the time of the
Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit human history begins to take an even
clearer shape as the Trinitarian history of God… The key to this
worldwide mission is the Spirit that guides in a special way the Christian
leaders, who are to proclaim boldly the good news to all people. Their
words form an epiclesis which calls down the Spirit to change the human
race and its cosmos to become the final Kingdom of God (Acts 28:31). We
are now in the time of the Spirit, the time of ultimate consummation.26

Mission in the post-paschal era in the history of salvation is missio Spiritus. The Spirit is

the main agent of mission. The Spirit is the bond of unity in the Godself. O’Collins states:

The Trinity’s koinonia or absolutely blissful communion of love presents

itself as the ultimate ground and goal of all other such relations-in-
communion. In a world where sharing and community have often
tragically broken down, the perichoretic existence of the Tripersonal God
invites us to live in communion with each other and with our God.27

Mission is carried out towards building God’s kingdom, the goal and fulfilment of

mission, which Jesus Christ has inaugurated in his person and message. Mission is an invitation

to all human beings “to exist in communion and loving solidarity with each other and with the

divine persons – an invitation and grace classically expressed by the climax of Jesus’ high

priestly prayer” (John 17:26).28

What happened to the mission of the Church? Gilles Emery and Matthew Levering argue

that the mission of the Church is “dependent upon the missio Dei, the Church is derivative,

26
Ibid, 172 -172.
27
Ibid., 178-180.
28
Ibid.
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partial, and not merely for itself. Instead of understanding it as a programme of ecclesiastical

expansion, the theologians now describe it in relation to the wider purpose of God for the world.

. . The Church neither initiates nor exhausts the mission of God. It participates in that mission.29

Mission here becomes an activity that is constitutive of the Triune God. Its location in the

doctrine of God promotes a view in which the Church is an instrument of divine mission rather

than itself the source of missionary activity. “To participate in the mission is to participate in the

movement of God’s love toward people, since God is the fountain of sending love’”30 Thus,

mission is love flowing from God, the fountain of love.

Vatican II affirms that “mission proceeds intrinsically from the Trinity and mission has a

Trinitarian structure.”31 It also brought the thinking that “missionary activity is nothing else, and

nothing less, than a manifestation of God’s plan, its epiphany and realization in the world and in

history; that by God, though mission, clearly brings to its conclusion the history of salvation.” 32

This teaching affirms the emphasis that God is present and involved in human affairs and history.

The transcendent God is actively present in the world.

Anne Hunt points out that a very brief survey of contemporary Trinitarian theology

shows that theologians, from a variety of perspectives, are showing striking creativity and

imagination in their efforts to render the mystery which lies at the very heart of our Christian

29
Gilles Emery and Matthew Levering, eds. The Trinity (Oxford: University Press, 2011), 552.
30
Bosch, Transforming Mission, 390.
31
Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium, AAS 56 (1995), no. 4.
32
Vatican II, Ad Gentes, nos. 2 and 9.
 15

faith meaningful.”33 Liberation theology claims that the Trinity can be understood as a prototype

of human society motivating social and historical progress. 34

Feminist theology seeks to reclaim the biblical image of God as Sophia for each of the

three divine persons.35 Eco-theology seeks to construct an intentionally ecological theology that

is firmly based on a systematic understanding of the trinitarian God. 36 From the optic of mission,

God is a Being-in-love that invites us to tease out the meaning of the Trinity in its contemporary

cosmic, ecological, psychological, political, and interfaith dimensions.

Peter Phan states his perspective in Asia. He says : “Given the centrality of the Trinity in

Christian faith, the recent emergence of the trinitarian doctrine into pre-eminence in

contemporary theology, and above all, given the tripartite structure present in the belief systems

of many Asian religions, it seems likely that it will be taken up as the unifying doctrine a future

intercultural or cross-cultural theology.”37

Mission is grounded on the mystery of the Trinity. It creates space for the salvific role of

Christ in the salvific plan of the Father. [But] there is also room for the work of the Spirit outside

Christian parameters. Missio Dei/Trinitatis indicates that mission is the most basic task of the

Church because to be a Christian is to become part of God’s life [of love] and God’s vision for

33
Anne Hunt, The Trinity? (New York/Mahwah, New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1998), 1.
34
Ibid., 5.
35
Ibid.
36
Ibid., 5-6.
37
Peter C. Phan, In Our Own Tongues: Perspectives from Asia on Mission and Inculturation (Maryknoll,
New York: Orbis Books, 2003), 173.
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the world.38 Missio Dei/Trinitatis expresses the trinitarian identity of the divine missions (John

16:13-15).39

A. The Mission of the Father (source and goal of mission)

Vatican II has recovered the proper locus of mission – that is, the Trinity. The Decree on

the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes Divinitus states that “the pilgrim Church is

missionary by its very nature.”40 It is missionary because it has the Father as the origin, source,

and goal of mission. Timothy Tennent argues that “God the Father is the providential source and

goal of the missio Dei.”41 Thus, mission begins and ends with God, the Father. Mission is

fulfilled at the end of time when the kingdom of God shall have been fully realized. Thus,

mission has also an eschatological dimension. It will be fulfilled at the end of time.

Tennent also argues: “God who has revealed himself in the Bible reveals His plan by

engaging himself to human history with a mission. This is the reason why mission is defined as

God’s redemptive, historical initiative on behalf of his creation.”42 This gives mission its

universal and cosmic dimension. In other words, mission is meant for all humanity and creation

(1 Timothy 2:5-6). Thus, mission has the following dimension: historical, universal, and

eschatological, thanks to the mission of the Father!

38
Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology, 47.
39
Ibid., 65.
40
Vatican II, Ad Gentes, no. 9.
41
Tennent, Invitation to World Missions, 105.
42
Ibid.
 17

Stephen Bevans and Roger Schroeder affirm:

Mission is the result of the overflowing love of God, expressed in the

mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit. In here, mission is
to be understood fundamentally as rooted in the continual self-giving and
self-revelation of God within the history of creation; Trinitarian
processions are understood not only as movements within the mystery of
God, as such, but as God moving in saving love within the world.43

In addition to that, they attest that “In Ad Gentes, God the Father is pictured as a life-

giving fountain of love who freely creates the world and calls humanity in particular to share in

the fullness of divine life. God does this by generously pouring out the divine goodness in

history, and never ceasing to do so as history continues.”44

“Mission is not primarily an activity of the Church, but an attribute of God. It is not the

Church that has mission of salvation to fulfil in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the

Spirit through the Father that includes the Church.”45 Thus, Tennent concludes that “God the

Father is the initiator and final goal of the missio Dei”46 or of the missio Trinitatis.

B. The Mission of the Son (mediator of mission)

The mission of Jesus was “not only to proclaim the kingdom of God but also to embody

the presence of the kingdom of God in his own person.”47 But who is this Jesus, the only

43
Bevans and Schroeder, Constants in Context, 287.
44
Ibid.
45
Bosch, Transforming Mission, 390.
46
Tennent, Invitation to World Missions, 124.
47
Ibid., 82.
 18

begotten Son of God? This is a fundamental question for Catholics who even up to now are still

seeking answers to who really Jesus is for them. The Catholic Church teaches that “Jesus is True

God and True Son of God.” 48 The Nicene Creed affirms the following:

I believe . . . in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of
the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from
true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father: through whom
all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down
from heaven. And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and
was made man.

The creed is not only an official statement of the Church but a statement of Jesus’

mission to save us and all creation from the darkness of sin. Catholic dogma affirms this. “The

Son of God became man in order to redeem men [and women].”49 Benedict XVI, in addition,

explains that “Jesus Christ is the revelation of God’s love.” 50 Urging the new people of God, he

said “to direct our gaze, with more fervent participation . . . at Christ Crucified who, dying on

Calvary, revealed fully for us the love of God.”51

The redemptive embodiment of the missio Trinitatis is Jesus. He is the mediator of

mission. The name Jesus means “Saviour.” For Christians, “the conviction that God has

decisively wrought salvation for all in and through his Son Jesus Christ stands at the very centre

48
Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, ed. James Canon Bastible (Dublin: Parkgate Printing
Works, 1962), 127.
49
Ibid., 175.
50
Benedict XVI, I Believe in One God (Makati City: St. Pauls Philippines, 2012), 29.
51
Ibid.
 19

of their lives.”52 It is affirmed that “Jesus is foundational to our understanding of the Triune

God, the eternal communion of Love. He is the sacrament of the living and loving God. The

Fourth Gospel attests to this: ‘I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) . . . whoever sees me see

him who sent me” (John 12:45).”53

Thomas Rausch maintains that “Jesus mediates God’s salvation and this salvation gives

us a share in the Divine life. Sharing in the Divine life, “then we have a new communion or

fellowship (Koinonia) with one another.”54 Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete

et Exultate, states that “mission has its fullest meaning in Christ, and can only be understood

through him.”55

On the other hand, Wilbert Shenk asserts that “Jesus the Messiah, God’s anointed one, in

whom God’s reign is inaugurated in the world and through whom that reign will be fully

established; who makes peace by the blood of the cross, reconciles former enemies, and forms of

them the messianic community.” 56 Vatican II expressed Jesus’ mission as a reconciling presence

52
Bosch, Transforming Mission, 393.
53
Javier, “Missio Ad Gentes and the Local Church,” 88.
54
Thomas P. Rausch, Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology (Quezon City: Claretian Publications,
2005), 186 – 198.
55
Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation on the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, Rejoice and Be Glad
Gaudete et Exultate (2018), no. 20.
56
Wilbert R. Shenk, The Transfiguration of Mission: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Foundations
(Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1993), 31.
 20

“to establish peace or communion between sinful human beings and himself. He was sent into

the world as a real mediator between God and men.”57

C. The Mission of the Holy Spirit (sanctifier of mission)

The 11th Council of Toledo (675) declares: “We believe that the Holy Ghost (Spirit) is

sent from both the Father and the Son as the Son is sent from the Father.” This temporal mission,

according to Ludwig Ott, “reflects the notions of the Divine Persons: the Father sends only, but it

is not sent; the Son is sent and sends. The Holy Spirit is sent only, but does not send.” 58

Who is the Holy Spirit? James Kroeger points out that “no mission theology today is

complete without an adequate understanding of pneumatology (Theology of the Holy Spirit).”59

The Holy Spirit is described as “the unknown Third.”60 He is the forgotten person in the Trinity.

Today, however, the Spirit is becoming more known.

“In the recent years, one of the most exciting developments in theology has been an

unprecedented interest in the Holy Spirit. A Pneumatological renaissance concerning the doctrine

and spirituality of the Holy Spirit has in these days stirred much interest and even enthusiasm

from all theological corners.”61 “The same Spirit of God that participated in creation over the

57
Vatican II, Ad Gentes, no. 3.
58
Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, 73.
59
James H. Kroeger, Living Mission: Challenges in Evangelization Today (Quezon City: Claretian
Publications, 1994), 56.
60
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in the Ecumenical, International, and Contextual
Perspective (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2002), 18.
61
Ibid., 11.
 21

chaotic primal waters (Genesis 1:2) is the principle of human life (Genesis 2:7) as well as life in

the cosmos at large (Psalm 104:29-30).62 Redemptor Hominis also states that “The Spirit is

present and active both in and beyond the Churches.”63 The Spirit is the main agent and

sanctifier of mission.

Looking back to the early years of Christianity, Tennent suggests “three major themes

that summarize the purpose and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early church: the Holy

Spirit empowers the church for global mission; the Holy Spirit endues the church with God’s

authority; the Holy Spirit extends the in-breaking of the New Creation through the powerful

manifestation of signs and wonders and holiness of life.64 Today, as in the early years of the

church, the Spirit is playing the roles to continue God’s mission.

Benedict XVI, on the other hand, says: “Ecclesial communion is inspired and sustained

by the Holy Spirit and preserved and promoted by the apostolic ministry. And this communion,

which we call ‘Church’ does not only extend to all believers in specific historical period but also

embraces all the epochs and all the generations . . . The Holy Spirit appears to us as a guarantor

of the active presence of the mystery in history, the One who ensures its realization down the

centuries.”65 Thus, the Spirit is a promoter and guarantor of God’s mission today.

62
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Trinity and Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 2014),
27.
63
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter to His Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, the Priests, the Religious
Families, the Sons and Daughters of the Church and to All Men and Women of Goodwill at the Beginning of His
Ministry Redemptor Hominis, AAS 71 (March 1979), no. 6.
64
Tennent, Invitation to World Missions, 412-413.
65
Benedict XVI, I Believe in One God, 68.
 22

Evangelii Nuntiandi teaches that: “evangelization will never be possible without the

action of the Holy Spirit . . . the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of evangelization.”66 Moreover,

Redemptoris Missio affirms that,

at the climax of Jesus’ messianic mission, the Holy Spirit becomes present
in the Paschal Mystery in all of his divine subjectivity: as the one who is
now to continue the salvific work rooted in the sacrifice of the cross . . .
the Holy Spirit remains transcendent and principal agent for the
accomplishment of this work in the human spirit and in the history of the
world. The Holy Spirit therefore is indeed the principal agent of the whole
life of the Church’s mission.”67 It is the Spirit that prepares for and
develops the seeds of the Word among all peoples. It offers everyone the
possibility of sharing the Gospel and the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ
in a manner known to God alone.”68

Meanwhile, John Paul II says that “between the Holy Spirit and Christ there thus subsists,

in the economy of salvation, an intimate bond, whereby the Spirit works in human history as

“another Counsellor,” permanently ensuring the transmission and spreading of the Good News

revealed by Jesus of Nazareth.”69 Thus, the Spirit is the main agent of God’s mission. Mission is

missio Spiritus. The Spirit is the main protagonist of mission.

66
Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation of His Holiness Pope Paul VI to His Episcopate, to the Clergy, and to All
the Faithful of the Entire World Evangelii Nuntiandi, AAS 120 (8 December 1975), no. 75.
67
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate
Redemptoris Missio, AAS 83 (8 April 1991), no. 21.
68
Ibid., no. 28.
69
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World Dominum et
Vivificantem, AAS 78 (18 May 1986), no. 7.
 23

CHAPTER III

WHY IS MISSIO TRINITATIS SIGNIFICANT TODAY?

Our question is: “Why is Missio Trinitatis significant today?

Times have changed. The state of mission has also changed. There is a need to have a

new image or model of mission that would be relevant in the contemporary times. “The world

has changed. And has changed at a dizzying speed. Our mission should adapt to the postmodern

times that is characterized by difference, diversity and plurality.” 70 Philip Jenkins observes that

“it is precisely religious changes that are the most significant, and even the most revolutionary,

in the contemporary world.” 71

A. The New Paradigm of Mission

Before and after the Second Vatican Council, the model of mission among the Protestants

that emerged was missio Dei. Among the Catholics, the model was the same but articulated in a

different way – that is, missio Trinitatis. This was to emphasize that there is only one mission –

missio Dei/Trinitatis – but translated by the divine missions: the mission of the Father, the Son,

and the Holy Spirit. Thus, we can say that missio Dei/Trinitatis is much broader than the

missionary activity of the Church.

70
Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology, 83.
71
Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford: University Press,
2002), 1.
 24

In addition to the need to have a new model is the need of a new theology of mission.

This new theology emphasizes the missionary nature of the Tri-personal God. Missio Trinitatis

emphasizes that mission is a continuous movement from God to the world – that is, to humanity

and the created world. Thus, mission is recognized as being centered on the Trinity, not on the

Church. Mission is God’s mission and the Church is called to participate or share in this same

mission.

The understanding of mission shifted from missio ecclesiae to missio Dei/Trinitatis. The

mission of the Church (missio ecclesiae) is dependent on the mission of God (missio

Dei/Trinitatis). In the realization of God’s mission, the main actor is the Holy Spirit. Thus,

mission in post-paschal era of salvation is missio Spiritus. It should be remembered that “the

mission of the Spirit is always linked to the mission of the Son. Thus, mission is a conjoint

mission of the Son and the Spirit (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 689).”72

B. From Exclusivism to Inclusivism

Missio Dei/Trinitatis is focused on God’s purposes for the world. It is an invitation to

acknowledge God’s presence outside of Christianity, “outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:13). Missio

Dei/Trinitatis, therefore, is broader than missio ecclesiae. It is theocentric rather than

ecclesiocentric. Consequent to this is the need to have a broader perspective, a more inclusivist

point of view. This new image of mission takes us out of the box of exclusivism. Andrew Shanks

exclusivist thinking:

72
Felipe Gomez, The Holy Spirit in Theology and Spirituality (Makati City: St. Pauls, 2010), 112.
 25

Exclusivist thinking is founded upon the metaphysical conviction that the

ultimate truth of salvation is exclusively to be found within confessionally
Christian tradition… From the exclusivist point of view, the ideal outcome
of transconfessional conversation – between Christians and the adherents
of other, non-Christian religious traditions – would always involve the
conversion of the non-Christians to Christianity, as the higher truth.”73

While missio Dei/Trinitatis emphasizes the oneness of God, it also emphasizes the

threeness of God. This has to generate an inclusivist paradigm of mission and inclusivist

thinking. Shanks also points out that “inclusivist thinking redefines salvation, so as to include the

possibility of what Karl Rahner has famously called ‘anonymous Christians’. Jesus remains, for

such thinking, metaphysically understood as the one and only true savior; yet it is argued he

somehow saves both those who recognize him and those who do not.”74 Thus, this model is

relevant in a pluralistic world.75 However, this demands a pluralist thinking that “redefines

salvation…to admit the possibility that there are several paths to salvation, of which the

Christian path is only one”76 among many other ways.

Missio Dei/Trinitatis is God’s mission. However, it continues through the fallible and

imperfect instrument called the church. Thus, it is emphasized that “the theology of mission must

73
Andrew Shanks, God and Modernity: A New and Better Way to Do Theology (London: Routledge,
2000), 42.
74
Ibid., 43.
75
See Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Trinity in a Pluralistic World: Theological Essays on Culture and Religion
(Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans, 1997).
76
Ibid.
 26

seek to understand God’s mission, God’s intention and purpose, God’s use of human instruments

in God’s mission, God’s working through God’s people in God’s world.”77

Missio Dei/Trinitatis is acceptable to all Protestants and Catholics. It is richly theological

and ecumenical. It emphasizes the trinitarian nature of the divine missions which Jesus entrusted

to the church has also a trinitarian imprint. John Paul II teaches that “the ultimate purpose of

mission is to share in the communion that exists between the Father and the Son. 78

“The missionary movement of which we are a part has its source in the Triune God.”79

Carl Braaten points out that “the Blessed Trinity is the source and model for our thinking about

the Church, its unity and mission.”80 Thus, we can say that it is only within the framework of the

trinitarian faith and doctrine that the mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit can be rightly

understood.”81 Christ and the Spirit cannot be separated from each other.

Missio Dei/Trinitatis acknowledges God’s purposes in history. God’s mission in history

has its first foundation in the word of God that “rings out at the beginning of the history of

Bokyoung Park, “Korean Women Missionaries: Agents of God’s Mission,” in Robert L. Gallagher and
77

Paul Hertig, eds., Contemporary Mission Theology: Engaging the Nations (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis, 2017),
251.
78
John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, no. 23.

See W. Andersen, “Further toward a Theology of Mission,” in The Theology of Christian Mission, G. H.
79

Anderson, ed., (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961), 300-313.

80
See Carl Braaten, “The Triune God: The Source and Model of Christian Unity,” Missiology 18 (1990):
415-427.
81
Javier, Theology of Mission cum Introduction to Missiology, 67.
 27

salvation, calling all things to existence, man and woman being the climax with the first mission

as stewards of creation.”82 History begins at creation and will be fulfilled in the new creation.

Peter Phan, reflecting on the joy of pluralism, has this to say: “The Asian way of being

church places the highest priority on communion and collegiality at all levels of church life and

activities. At the vertical level communion is realized with the Trinitarian God whose

perichoresis the church is commissioned to reflect in history.” 83 Thus, missio Dei/Trinitatis is

concretized by the life and activity of the church by living out, witnessing to, and practising the

trinitarian perichoresis in the world and in history.

Bevans and Schroeder rightly conclude that mission should be “understood as

fundamentally rooted in the continual self-giving and self-revelation of God within the history of

creation; Trinitarian processions are understood not only as movements within the mystery of

God, as such, but as God moving in the saving love within the world.” 84 Thus, missio

Dei/Trinitatis indicates to us that mission is partnership with God in the world.

82
Miriam Alejandrino, “Biblical Foundations for Mission: A Retrospect,” in Fanning the Flames of
Mission: Mission Formation Manual, Andrew Recepcion, ed. (Manila: Eres Books, 2016), 44.
83
Peter C. Phan, The joy of Religious Pluralism: A Personal Journey (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books,
2017), 143.
84
Bevans and Schroeder, Constants in Context, 287.
 28

CHAPTER IV

MISSION AREAS/HORIZONS TO PROMOTE MISSIO TRINITATIS

The question is: “What mission strategies should we take promote missio Dei/Trinitatis?

William Butler Yeats, an Anglo Irish poet, once said that “education is not filling of a

pail, but lighting of a fire.” This quote “is a good description of one of the most important tenets

of theological education. It can never be solely for the purpose of acquiring knowledge (filling

the pail) but that knowledge can and must be used for the purpose of transformation (lighting the

fire).”85

A. Education and Formation

Ideally theory and practice go together. Inputs and outputs complement each other.

Sarojini Nadar proposes that “the practice of mission engages with theological education in a

dialogue manner. On the one hand, theological education requires missiological practice; while

on the other hand, missiological practice requires education.”86 He convincingly argues:

If the Church finds the reason for its existence in responding to the missio
Dei, then theological education should take that seriously. We should not
study the bible, or Church history, or practice theology, or any other

85
Sarojini Nadar, “Contextualization and Inter-Contextuality in Theological Education: An African
Perspective,” Handbook of Theological Education in World Christianity: Theological Perspective, Ecumenical
Trends, Regional Surveys, eds. Dietrich Werner, David Esterline, Namsoon Kang, Joshva Raja (Bangalore: Asian
Trading Corporation, 2010), 128.
86
Steve de Gruchy, “Theological Education and Missional Practice: A Vital Dialogue,” in Handbook of
Theological Education in World Christianity: Theological Perspective, Ecumenical Trends, Regional Surveys, eds.
Dietrich Werner, David Esterline, Namsoon Kang, Joshva Raja (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2010), 42.
 29

theological subject, without constantly being aware of its missiological

implications, and of making students aware of this too.87

He points out, however that “acknowledging that theological education must engage the

world is important, but missiological reflection and practice also provides theological education

with the sense of telos, or purpose or direction for that engagement. 88

Steve de Gruchy points out:

Theological education as missional practice provides experiential moment

in which future leaders in the Church can grasp what missional practice is
all about. Theological education is (or should be) a time when teachers
and students problematize the power relationships that exist between those
who know and those who do not know, and find dialogical ways of
learning and growing together. Theological education exemplifies what
sharing the gospel in mission can and should be.89

Education is a two-way traffic between the teacher and the learner. This explains the

importance of teaching in a dialogical manner. Theological education through seminars,

workshops and retreats and academic study for some people will help “the students to become

critics and conscience of the society” 90 and to the re-animation of the missio Trinitatis. These are

ways on how to animate, educate and attract young people to embrace the profound mysteries of

the missio Trinitatis.

87
Ibid, 43.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid, 49.
90
Sarojini Nadar, “Contextuality and Inter-Contextuality in Theological Education,” 136.
 30

B. Social Communications

In the present time, communication as part of humanity is acknowledged. It is pointed out

that it “is a constituent part of all education, social formation, and cultural interaction.” 91

Religious communities, according to Joshva Raja, “use various means of communication to

propagate, educate, and promote their beliefs and worldviews; when a particular community

communicates effectively, the community will be successful in bringing people to their faith” 92

and in bringing to them the understanding that mission is missio Dei/Trinitatis.

“Christianity is a religion strongly engaged in communication.” 93 And part of it is the

social media that has become one of the most important tools in evangelizing people. The

Church, as a Mater et Magistra, considers social media as the “first Areopagus or marketplace of

the modern age.”94 Vatican II recognizes the importance of the social media. “The Church

recognizes that these media, if properly utilized, can be of great service to mankind, since they

great contribute to men’s entertainment and instruction as well as to the spread and support of the

91
Joshva Raja and S. Prabhakar, Introduction to Communication and Media Studies (Bangalore:
BTESSC/SATHRI, 2006), 1-9. Cf. Joshva Raja, “Media Education, communication Studies and Theological
Education,” in Handbook of Theological Education in World Christianity: Theological Perspective, Ecumenical
Trends, Regional Surveys, eds. Dietrich Werner, David Esterline, Namsoon Kang, Joshva Raja (Bangalore: Asian
Trading Corporation, 2010), 174.
92
Ibid.
93
Ibid.
94
John Paul II, Encyclical Letter on Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate Redemptoris
Missio, AAS 83 (8 April 1991), no. 37.
 31

kingdom.”95 In contemporary times, the use of the social media is very important. In all sectors

of society, including the church, the social media is very much utilized.

John Paul II emphasises the use of the means of communication in the global village. He

says: “The first Areopagus of the modern age is the world of communications, which is unifying

humanity and turning it into what is known as a global village. The means of social

communication have become as important as to be for many the chief means of information and

education, of guidance and inspiration in their behavior as individuals, families, and within

society at large.”96 As the church is becoming more and more an electronic church, electronic

education will be very important in proclaiming the trinitarian nature of mission (“missio

Dei/Trinitatis”).

As a marketplace of the modern age designed to be properly utilized, social media, as a

channel of communication is quite important for the society at large and for the Catholic Church

as one of the main tools in spreading the good news and all other relevant information, guidance,

and inspiration that speaks of God’s enduring love, Christ’s profound mission and the Holy

Spirit’s action and empowerment. It should be remembered, however, that the means of social

communication remain as tools to be used. Information, guidance, and inspiration are best

disseminated personally and verbally.

However, the Church also admits that to some degree this so-called Aeropagus

(marketplace) has been oftentimes neglected and compromised because of ignorance and the
95
Vatican II, Inter Mirifica, no. 2.
96
John Paul II, Redemptoris Missio, no. 37.
 32

misusing of it. The Church “experiences maternal grief at the harm all too often done to society

by their evil use.”97 Say, for instance, the spreading of fake news, grievous attack against religion

and the divinity of God, assaults against the dignity of the human person and even of nature and

ecology.

The Catholic Church, founded by Christ “to bear salvation to all men [and women] and

thus obliged to preach the Gospel, considers it one of its duties to announce the Good News of

salvation also with the help of social media and to instruct men [and women] in their proper

use.”98 Social media remains a threat to faith but by looking at it from the perspective of the

Church, one can use social media as an efficient tool to bring God’s love to all.

The social media can be a tool to the proclamation of the Good News. Pope Francis

affirmed this in his message for World Communications Day last 2016. He said that, “using

social media to witness to Christ and proclaim his mighty deeds starts by treating social media as

a special gift from God.” 99 He also added that “emails, text messages, social networks, and chats

can also be fully human forms of communication.”100

97
Vatican II, Inter Mirifica, no. 2.
98
Vatican II, Infer Mirifica, no. 3
99
Pope Francis, Message for the 50th World Communications Day (24 January 2016).
100
Ibid.
 33

It is not technology that determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather

the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal.” 101 Social media helps

us to connect, rediscover and assist one another into a fruitful and meaningful encounter with

Christ. We should use it as an opportunity “to encounter others and to promote Eucharistic

communion, where unity is based not on “likes” but on the “truth,” on the “Amen,” by which

each one clings to the Body of Christ, and welcomes others.”102

C. Christian Family: The Cornerstone of Missio Trinitatis

Building a family is a vocation that comes from God. It is one of his greatest gifts to

humanity. St. John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio defines the family

“as an intimate community of life and love whose mission is to guard, reveal and communicate

this love [to others and to God].”103 According to Lumen Gentium: “The family, is so to speak,

the domestic church.”104 This simply means that “it is in the context of the family that we first

learn who God is and to prayerfully seek his will for us.”105 Pope Francis, on the other side states

that: “Family is the cornerstone of our faith and a haven of joy;” it is the cornerstone of the

101
George Nwachukwu, “The Church and Social Media: Application of Social Media in the Church’s
Mission of Evangelization,” in https://recowacerao.org/the-church-and-social-media-application-of-social-media-in-
the-churchs-mission-of-evangelization (accessed May 10, 2020).
102
Lydia O’Kane, “Pope Highlights Pros and Cons of Internet and Social Media Use,” Vatican News,
January 24, 2019, http://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-01.html, (accessed May 11, 2020).
103
John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation on the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World Familiaris
Consortio, AAS 74 (1982), no. 17.
104
Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, no. 11.
105
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Tools for Building a Domestic Church,” in
hhtps://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/vocations/parents/tools-for-building-a-domestic-church.cfm (accessed
May 25, 2020).
 34

missio Trinitatis. As a cornerstone of our faith and as the basic cell of the society, it serves as

“the salt of the earth and the light of the world, it is the leaven of the society as a whole.” 106

Pope Francis showed his deep concern for the Christian family after convening an

Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (2014-2015). From this Synod came

out Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) which is a post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. It speaks

of the importance of love in the Family. It cites not only the documents and teachings of his

predecessors but of his own numerous insights and catechesis on the family.

The Pope begins his reflections in Amoris Laetitia with the Holy Scriptures in the first

chapter, which unfolds as a meditation on Psalm 128 which appears in the Jewish wedding

liturgy as well as that of Christian marriages. It is stated in the document that the Bible is full of

families, births, love stories and family crises. This impels us to meditate on the mission of the

family as a seed bed of values; especially of faith, hope, and love.

However, because of social media, globalization and all other threats in the Christian

family, Pope Francis has been challenging the Church in his apostolic exhortation to revisit the

importance of love in the family as well as the “examination of the situation of families in

today’s world and the quest for a renewed awareness of the importance and sanctity of

marriage.”107 From these concrete attempts of the Church to conquer the challenges that the

Christian Family nowadays faces, we can see how she, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit,

106
Francis during the Holy Mass for the Family Day on the Occasion of the Year of Faith, October 27,
2013.
107
Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Love in the Family Amoris Laetitia, AAS 108
(2016), no. 2.
 35

has been continuously extending her pastoral care and support of guiding the Christian family

amidst the challenges of the signs of the times. May the Christian family continues to become a

locus; a cornerstone that participates in safeguarding and promoting the mission of the Trinity.
 36

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

A. Summary

The concept of mission as missio Dei was coined by the Protestants during their World

Council of Churches’ Conference in Wellingen in 1952. Years later, the Catholics accepted the

concept and articulated it by emphasizing that there is only one mission, but concretized by the

three divine missions of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Missio Dei refers also to missio

Trinitatis.

The new image or model of mission gave mission its Trinitarian nature. Moreover, the

concept emphasizes that God is a missionary God. Mission, therefore, is God’s attribute. It is

[God’s] mission that has a church to carry out God’s purposes in the world. Mission also is a

movement from God to the world and the church is viewed as an instrument of God’s movement.

Obviously, the new concept marked the shift of paradigm of mission – that is, from

missio ecclesiae (“mission of the Church”) to missio Dei/Trinitatis (“mission of the tri-personal

God”). The tri-personal God is the source, model, and goal of mission. For we have the Father

who sends the Son, then the Father and the Son who send the Holy Spirit to sanctify and

empower the Church who is an instrument and partaker of the missio Dei/missio Trinitatis. From

this concept emerged a new paradigm of mission – that is, missio Spiritus in the post-paschal era

of salvation history. Today, therefore, the Spirit is the primary agent of evangelization (Paul VI)

or mission (John Paul II).

 37

B. Findings

What is missio Dei/Trinitatis? It is inspired by the contemporary theology of mission

that stresses that mission belongs to and is concretized by the three divine persons. Mission is a

movement from God to the world. Mission, therefore, is attached to the Trinity with its dual

emphasis on oneness and threeness as equally ultimate.

Why is missio Dei/Trinitatis significant today? It is significant because the state of

mission has changed in the twentieth century. The change demanded a new model of mission

that is centered on the Trinity – emphasizing the oneness and threeness of God rather than the

missionary activities of the church. This concept is a move from exclusivist to inclusivist

perspective on God’s purposes in the world.

What mission strategies should we take to promote missio Dei/Trinitatis? Education

and formation are proposed. But such education and formation should not only be on the

theoretical level. Theory and practice are hallmarks of education today. Mission theory must be

complemented by missional practice.

In doing mission studies, the use of the means of social communication is also proposed.

In the global village, the means of social communication have become so important. The church

is becoming more and more an electronic church, electronic education will be very important in

proclaiming the Trinitarian nature of mission.

In realizing the mission of the Trinity, the Christian family considers to be a basic unit of

the society should be strengthened. Every Christian family should be patterned according to the
 38

image of the Trinity whose mission is to radiate the basic theological virtues of faith, hope and

love.

C. Recommendation

(a) More and in-depth study of mission as grounded on the Trinity is highly

recommended. This will take time as many are still engrossed with the idea that

mission is the mission of the church.

(b) In postmodern times, relationship is the hallmark to be acknowledged. Exclusivist

thinking does not create relationships or even paradigm shifts. Thus, today’s

missionaries must be formed to be committed to inclusivist thinking.

(c) Media education is important so that the means of social communication be used with

great care and responsibility. Missionaries need training and familiarity with the

digital platforms that can be used for evangelization purposes. The Christian family

as a seed bed of basics faith, hope and love should be strengthened according to the

image of the Trinity. Missio Trinitatis should be first and foremost present in the

daily realities of the Christian family.

Here ends the mission synthesis paper.

 39

REFERENCES

A. Church Documents

1. Second Vatican Council

Vatican II. Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church Ad Gentes Divinitus. AAS 58 (1965)

Vatican II. Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium. AAS 56 (1965).

2. Papal Documents

Francis. Apostolic Exhortation on the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, Rejoice and Be Glad
Gaudete et Exultate. (2018).

_____. Message for the 50th World Communications Day. (24 January 2016).

_____. Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Love in the Family Amoris Laetitia.
AAS 108 (2016).

John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation on the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World
Familiaris Consortio. AAS 74 (1982).

_____. Encyclical Letter on the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church and the World Dominum et
Vivificantem. AAS 78 (1986).

_____. Encyclical Letter to His Venerable Brothers in the Episcopate, the Priests, the Religious
Families, the Sons and Daughters of the Church and to All Men and Women of Goodwill
at the Beginning of His Ministry Redemptor Hominis. AAS 71 (1979).

_____. Encyclical Letter on the Permanent Validity of the Church’s Missionary Mandate
Redemptoris Missio. AAS 83 (8 April 1991).

Paul VI. Apostolic Exhortation on the Evangelization in the Modern World Evangelii Nuntiandi.
AAS 120 (1982)

_____. Decree on the Media of Social Communications Inter Mirifica. AAS 56 (4 December
1963)

SVD Documents of the XV General Chapter. In Dialogue with the Word. (2000).
 40

B. Books

Amaladoss. Michael. Interreligious Encounters and Opportunities and Challenges. Ed. Jonathan
Y. Tan. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 2017.

Benedict XVI. I Believe in One God. Makati City: St. Pauls Philippines, 2012.

Bevans, Stephen B. An Introduction to Theology in Global Perspective. Maryknoll, New York:

Orbis Books, 2009.

Bevans, Stephen and Roger P. Schroeder. Constants in Context: A Theology of Mission for
Today. Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 2005.

Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll,

New York: Orbis Books, 1991.

Brown, Raymond E., Fitzmyer, Joseph A. and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical
Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1968.

Champagne, Joseph E. Manual for Missionary Action. Trans. Roy L. Laberge. Ontario:
University of Ottawa Press, 2005.

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