Our Spirituality
God, in His mystery of love, chose the cross as the instrument of our redemption. He has also chosen some people to share a special mission in this plan of salvation, which has been realized through the cross of Christ – that is, through his suffering, which lives on in the world today through His mystical body, the Church. When God chooses a heavy cross for someone, He invites them to become one with His Son in a special way.Through our baptism, we are already a part of Christ’s mystical body. When we live in a state of grace, we participate in the merits of His life. Even when we suffer, we no longer suffer alone; each of us is ‘another Christ,’ because it is He who lives and suffers in us.
The Gospels tell us that the condition for authentically following Christ is taking up our cross each day and following after him (Luke 9:23). Since everyday life for those who face significant suffering implies constantly carrying a heavy cross, by simply offering our day with love, we are uniting our pain to that of Christ – and converting it into redemptive suffering. Even the smallest sacrifice, when offered with love, can be converted by Christ into the most valuable thing possible: eternal salvation for souls. In this light, no struggle, effort, or sacrifice is a waste – everything can be gained for heaven. We can even gain graces for specific people, asking God to give them a part in the merits and graces won by our sacrifices.
To help remind us of those are counting on our intercession, we write the name of each person we want to offer ourselves for in a booklet that symbolizes the spiritual ‘satchel’ full of souls and acts of love that we are bringing with us to eternity.
By praying for the intentions of those who ask them for help, Mission Hope members become true spiritual benefactors of their loved ones and those in their parish or community for whom they offer their cross.