Mission and Purpose
Whether our stories nestle us at home or launch us across the globe, we all need nourishment for the journey. Missa Est offers accompaniment and resources to anyone who wants to connect more deeply with God’s love.
Missa Est - the story behind the name
“Ite, missa est.”
These final words of the Mass literally translate to a rather dry: “Go, it is dismissed.” But these words, in the context of the universal Christian call to mission, take on a deeper, richer meaning. In this sense, we hear:
“Go, you are sent.”
In the post-synodal letter, Sacramentum Caritatis, Pope Benedict XVI affirms this deeper meaning: “The word "dismissal" has come to imply a "mission." These few words succinctly express the missionary nature of the Church. The People of God might be helped to understand more clearly this essential dimension of the Church's life, taking the dismissal as a starting- point.” (Benedict XVI, 2007).
This “being sent” applies not only to those who serve in faraway places, but to everyone. As Pope Francis has said, “All are called. All are sent.” God’s abundant grace anoints and empowers us to share what we have been given with every human heart, and it must first become real in our own.
We are not meant to do this alone. Missa Est coaching, speaking, workshops, and retreats are designed to offer accompaniment, formation, and encouragement to individuals and communities who seek to know and love God deeply.
References:
Pope Benedict XVI, Sacramentum Caritatis, §51, February 22, 2007, Libreria Editrice Vaticana