Mission, the Fifth Pillar of the Holy Friendship

JESUS SENT THE APOSTLES TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.

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"Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; 

baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," 

- Matthew 28:19

The Apostles have been sent by the Lord to preach the Gospel to the ends of the world and to make disciples of all nations. That's what they did that's why the Catholic Church is still the biggest Christian Church and the only one that retains the four characteristics of the true Church: 

Unity or Oneness

"May they all be one, as you and I, Father, are one."

- John 17:21

"So that there may be one fold and one Shepherd."

- John 10:16

Holiness

"They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world.

Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth."
- John 17: 16-17

"Be holy as your Father in heaven is holy."

- Matthew 5:48

Catholicity

"I pray not only for these [the Apostles] 

but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me."

- John 17:20

"Make disciples of all nations."

- Matthew 28:19

Apostolicity

"As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them to the world."

- John 17:18

"And these they brought to the Apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them."

- Acts 6:6

No other Church could verifiably claim these four characteristics which make the Catholic Church the one true Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ. 

As a pillar of the Holy Friendship, Mission is a call of God to do the same, to proclaim the Gospel, but more particularly the Gospel of the Holy Friendship [see John 15: 12-17]; and to make friends of all the nations for the Lord. Of course it is noticeable that we just substituted the word friends to disciples. But there is no really any distinction in the Christian lingo between follower, disciple and friend of the Lord. As Christians we are friends of the Lord is we follow and become His disciples. And as His followers or disciples, we have that privilege of being His friends. Just as a Christian cannot be a true Christian without conforming His life and being into Christ Himself, so a Christian cannot be a true follower or disciple if He does not accept the Lord's friendship, that is, to be a lover of his or her brethren, ready to wash the other's feet.

So the Lord says, "I do not call you servants any longer; I call you friends!" [John 15:15]. In the same passage he explains the reason why: "Because I have told you everything that I have learned from the Father." And He compared the servant with the friend in this manner: "A servant does not know what his master is doing."

We are blessed indeed for we have been counted as His friends - not servants anymore. But this is a mere privilege, not a right: we do not have the right to expect Him to befriend us - it is by His free will and decision but of course with a condition: we must love one another as He loved us and this love for one another can be truly expressed by washing each other's feet [see John 13:34] and being ready to offer one's life for a friend [see John 15:13]. Moreover, He did not merely talk about it, He really did offer His life for His friends by dying on the cross!

And now it is our mission to proclaim this Gospel of Holy Friendship. It is by no means a secular intimacy that we are proclaiming: it is a holy relationship that God has been offering to mankind ever since He created our first parents, Adam and Eve. It is a Holy Friendship and it requires us to give our whole selves to others in the same manner that the Lord gave Himself totally for our salvation.

Introduction to the Pillars of the Holy Friendship

The Mission of the Holy Friendship