As the Syro-Malabar Church observes the month of October as Mission Month, this article introduces Jeevan Jyothi, the official lay missionary initiative recently launched in the Church, and explains its objectives.
Introduction
During His public ministry, Christ the Lord chose disciples and sent them forth to proclaim the Gospel: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15–16). To the Church He entrusted the duty of spreading faith and His saving work. Flowing from Christ into the members of His mystical body, this mission becomes our way of life.
“The Gospel must reach to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). For this, each one of us is called. St. Paul the Apostle, recognizing this truth, declared: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” (1 Cor. 9:16). This mandate is not limited to Paul alone, but extends to every Christian.
The Second Vatican Council, in its decree Ad Gentes (Nr. 35) on the missionary activity of the Church, affirms: “The whole Church is missionary.” Thus, the children of the Church bear the responsibility of bringing the Gospel to peoples who have not yet heard it and into nonChristian cultures.
This truth is beautifully expressed in the prayer at baptism: “Blessed be God who has raised you to the dignity of His children through baptism. May He help you to live as a faithful son/daughter of the holy Church. Having received the Holy Spirit, may you always be a courageous witness to the Gospel.” Recognizing this call, many missionary initiatives have arisen among the SyroMalabar faithful, who live for the Gospel and engage actively in missionary works. In various parts of India, the laity carries forward these evangelizing activities.
To rekindle missionary zeal among the globally dispersed faithful of the SyroMalabar Catholic Church, the Jeevan Jyothi Lay Missionary Movement was established. The proposal for an official lay missionary movement was first raised at the Major Archiepiscopal Assembly in August 2024. After careful reflection and discussion, the Synod of Bishops approved the proposal in January 2025. In January 2026, the Synod officially confirmed the name Jeevan Jyothi. On January 26, 2026, at Mount St. Thomas, Kakkanad, the Major Archbishop of the SyroMalabar Church, Mar Raphael Thattil, formally inaugurated the movement. At this inaugural gathering, Mar Prince Antony Panengadan, Chairman of the Commission for Evangelization and the Pastoral Care of the Migrants, and Rev. Fr. Francis Eluvathingal, Secretary of the same Commission led the programme.
Biblical Foundation of the Name Jeevan Jyothi
The name Jeevan Jyothi (Light of Life) is drawn from John 1:4–5: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This verse beautifully reflects the essence of the movement.
Christ is the source of life and the light of the world. His disciples are called to radiate this light into every dimension of life. Through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, Jesus sustains creation and renews humanity. He offers not mere existence, but abundant and eternal life: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). To live in Him means to walk in His light, to reflect His holiness, and to become “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14–16).
In Christ we find union with God, freedom from sin, and the hope of eternity. The darkness of sin and death is conquered by the radiant light of Jesus. As the One who is both Life and Light, Christ guides and sustains the missionary journey of the Church. With His light, the Jeevan Jyothi Lay Missionary Movement seeks to embrace and embody this radiance, enabling the laity to witness to Christ and to shine forth His life amidst the challenges of the modern world.
Rooted deeply in the apostolic tradition of St. Thomas the Apostle, the movement strives to rekindle missionary zeal among the SyroMalabar faithful worldwide. It empowers believers to live and proclaim the Gospel in the ordinary circumstances of daily life. It also seeks to provide awareness of missionary realities, to inspire the faithful through the experiences of missionaries, and to help those unable to visit mission territories understand the life and struggles of missionaries serving in distant lands and among nonChristians.
The logo of the Jeevan Jyothi Lay Missionary Movement
It beautifully integrates five core commitments: constant intercessory prayer, witness through daily life, persontoperson evangelization, and fearless proclamation from the rooftops, and humble service expressed in the washing of feet. In this way, the Church desires that our lives become a Gospel message in every sphere of engagement, a ministry of establishing the Kingdom of God.
Vision and Mission of the Movement
Vision: Live Christ and radiate His Light.
Mission: With deep conviction that the entire baptized are sent out as missionaries, the mission unfolds through the following commitments:
I. Evangelization in Action with Global Missionary Spirit: We commit to proclaiming the Gospel through prayer, witness, person-to-person sharing, bold proclamation, and humble service, while nurturing a missionary spirit among the globally dispersed laity of the Syro-Malabar Church.
II. Daily Life Rooted in Christ and Witness: We emphasize a Catholic life rooted in Christ and Scripture and we inspire the laity to witness to Christ in every sphere of life—workplaces, neighborhoods, schools, digital platforms, culture, and society, seriously involving in the social and charitable activities of the Church.
III. Missio Ad Gentes and Missionary Transformation: We embrace new means of evangelization with a special focus on missio ad gentes, fostering leadership and fellowship among lay persons—youth, professionals, and retired faithful transforming them into vibrant missionaries.
IV. Ecclesial Participation and Missionary Vocations: To empower the lay faithful to assume meaningful roles within the Church’s pastoral plan, engaging actively in reevangelization across eparchies, parishes, and missions, while at the same time promoting vocations among seminarians, candidates for religious life, catechists, and lay preachers—especially for mission territories.
V. Guidance, Fellowship & Resource Support: We animate and strengthen zealous missionaries through formation, encouragement, and recognition, while finding sponsors to provide financial and material support for missionary personnel, centers, formation houses, and essential infrastructure.
Key Characteristics of the Movement
I. Firm Faith in the Holy Trinity – Holding unwavering conviction in God the Trinity – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as the source of salvation.
II. Personal Encounter with the Person of Christ – Having a deep, living relationship with Jesus and walking in daily obedience to His teachings within the Church, as the foundation of missionary life.
III. With the Church – Dedicating oneself to the Church with steadfast commitment and supporting its multifaceted evangelizing mission.
IV. Life of Proclamation – Proclaiming the Gospel through words and deeds, even at the cost of life.
V. Salvation of Souls – Seeking one’s own sanctification while striving for the salvation of others.
Charisms and Ministries of the Jeevan Jyothi Lay Missionary Movement
A charism is a grace freely given by the Holy Spirit to an individual or group for the benefit of others and for the mission of the Church. A ministry, on the other hand, is a structured service or office within the Church, recognized, entrusted, or appointed, through which charisms and talents are put into practice.
Though ministries differ in function, they are united in mission. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 873, 910) affirms that the laity are called to exercise ministries in family, workplace, parish, and society. Through the Jeevan Jyothi Lay Missionary Movement, the SyroMalabar Church organizes and animates lay missionaries according to their diverse charisms and recognized ministries.
The Church carries a tradition of 2000 years. Our SyroMalabar Church, heir to this long heritage, must now focus more deeply on missionary activity. Each of us is appointed in this era to announce to the world the joyful Good News of Jesus. By our words, deeds, and life witness, we are called to share Christ and advance as missionaries of the 21st century.
Shaji Parampan
