Supporting Missions and Missionaries

We are all called to be missionaries as we are all called to holiness, that is, to use Matthey Kelly's description,  "the best version of ourselves."  Some of us are asked to leave our countries and go to foreign lands, but all of us, in one way or another, either through personal involvement or by financial assistance, have this mission, based on the final command of Jesus:  "Go, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  Teach these new disciples to obey the commands I have given you."  (Mt 28: 19). One of Pope Benedict XVI's intentions for the month of September is "That Christian communities may have a growing willingness to send missionaries, priest and lay people along with concrete resources to the poorest Churches." 
St. Marcellin envisioned a missionary component for his Little Brothers of Mary, seeing us eventually in every diocese of the world.  We are now in 80 countries and have a long history of missionary work. For example, Brother Marie-Candide led the first band of brothers to China in 1890 and was followed by Brothers Jules-Andre and Jospeh-Felicite, who were martyred during the Boxer Rebellion.  Br. Joseph-Felicite's youngest Brother, followed in his brothers' footsteps and was a missionary in China until expelled by Mao in 1950.  He returned to France and died there at the age of 86, praying for the Chinese brothers who were forced underground.  The mission to Japan began as a result of the Chinese expulsion; our mission to the Philippines was an American intiative in 1948.  Liberia, Africa, followed in 1986, and just recently, Br. David Cooney, one of those first founding brothers,  returned there for a second round.
Each summer a group of Marist Brothers spread themselves from Ohio to New Hampshire, speaking in parishes about the Marist missions and soliciting financial aid in addition to rousing prayerful support.  The results are always astounding:  one struggling parish in central Massachusetts, donated over $2000.00 in the second collection, a record for second collections there.  People want to help, even when they are recovering from tornadoes, as was the case last summer in that same area of Massachusetts.
There's no question that in our own parishes, we have "mission territory":  One local parish priest is making a concerted effort in conjunction with dedicated lay members, to visit the homes of those who no longer come to church.  This same parish is reaching out to its youth, so many of whom have no connection to the Church.
Yes, China, or right under our noses, the missions need us, await us.  If we are to be "the best version of Church," it takes members who answer the challenge to be "the best version of themselves."
Bro. Rene