Tagaytay City—In his Actus Academicus lecture titled "The Church is a Community of Missionary Disciples," Fr. Edgar G. Javier, SVD, founder and former director of the Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies (DWIMS), called on the Church to reexamine its mission.
The event, held last August 10, 2024, after the Mass of the Holy Spirit, was hosted by Fr. Antonio M. Pernia, SVD, the Vice Director for Studies at DWIMS, and concluded with an open forum moderated by Fr. Pernia.
The lecture was attended by students, faculty, staff, and alumni of DWIMS.
Fr. Javier, currently the DWIMS Vice Director for Research and Publication, opened his lecture with a candid reflection on his own journey in understanding missiology, admitting that even after years of study and teaching, the concept of mission had remained elusive to him. He shared how Pope Francis has influenced his understanding, particularly through the metaphor of the Church as a "hospital," a place where healing is needed.
Fr. Javier explored Pope Francis' criticism of the Church's insular nature. He warned against the "Pharisee problem," where modern-day believers, both clergy and laity, risk becoming too focused on their own perceived righteousness while neglecting the mission of the Church—to go beyond its walls and serve those in need.
“My own understanding is that (mission) is a way of life that you take in order to meet the different, the other, and the many. People are afraid of the other, especially if the other is a migrant, a refugee, a beggar, a person you do not know. But Pope Francis tells us, read the parable of the Good Samaritan again,” said Fr. Javier.
Fr. Javier also highlighted the importance of cultural relevance in liturgical practices, drawing from his experiences as a missionary in the Pacific and Africa. He referred to liturgy as “a missionary act, nourishing the church for its missionary life and sending forth missionaries to proclaim the Gospel by the way they live.”
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Fr. Javier’s Actus Academicus lecture at DWIMS serves as both a challenge and an invitation to DWIMS for the upcoming academic year 2024-2025. As he concluded his lecture, he pointed to Pope Francis as “truly a remarkable missionary in his own way, in our own time,” and challenged DWIMS to “treasure and live out his legacy to the missionary choice … as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.”
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Enroll now at the Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies (DWIMS) for AY 2024-2025!
DWIMS offers the following programs:
🎓 Doctorate Program
🎓 Licentiate Program
📖 Certificate in Mission Studies (CMS) Program
Ready to enroll? There are two ways to begin.
1️⃣ Fill up the enrollment form and choose the program you wish to enroll in.
https://forms.gle/r4xgv4pxihXaKzT19
Access the Google Form link and submit your details to begin the enrollment process.
2️⃣ Visit the DWIMS Academic Office and look for Ms. Chameal Santos (HR—DWIMS).
📍 Divine Word Institute of Mission Studies (DWIMS), SVD Road, Brgy. San Jose, Tagaytay City
Whichever way you begin, we will assist you regarding the requirements you will need to submit.
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