Called to mission in the ordinary

Guests on the Things I Wish I Knew podcast often say that they can look back and see that God was inviting them to live their life to the full through certain events, interactions or even ruptures, although they might not have acknowledged that at the time. Marc Anthony Ignatius is no different, and now he chooses to respond daily to God’s faithfulness.

Faith is often shaped by the places and people that first teach us what it means to belong. Family, parish, school and community can all become places where faith is not simply explained but lived. For Marc Anthony Ignatius, these early experiences in Manila provided the foundation for a journey that would later take him to London, into youth ministry and eventually into a life of mission.

Growing up in the Philippines, Marc Anthony experienced faith as part of everyday family life. Church was woven into the rhythm of the week, alongside family meals and community. These ordinary practices gave him a sense that faith was something shared and lived with others.

Moving to London as a teenager challenged that sense of familiarity. The change of country and culture brought a significant period of adjustment as Marc Anthony tried to find his place in a new environment. Yet, in that uncertainty, he found stability in prayer and in the community around him at his Salesian school.

That experience points to something important about Christian formation. Faith does not grow in isolation. The people and communities around us can help us to recognise gifts we might not yet see in ourselves. For Marc Anthony, his school encouraged personal growth and leadership, while his involvement in youth ministry gave him opportunities to discover faith through service and relationship.

His experience as an altar server at Westminster Cathedral became particularly significant. Serving placed Marc Anthony close to the liturgy and it gave him a deeper awareness of God's presence than ever before. It also became a turning point in his relationship with God. But the most memorable moment for him was during Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK in 2010. Seeing and hearing from the leader of the Catholic Church strengthened Marc Anthony's desire to live his faith openly and authentically.

There is a temptation to think of vocation and mission as something reserved for priests, religious or those working formally for the Church. Marc Anthony's experience offers a broader understanding. His path took him from a career in creative advertising into youth mission, travelling across Europe and sharing the Christian faith with young people. Yet the common thread was not a particular job or role. It was a growing recognition that his everyday gifts and experiences could serve others.

Mission, in this sense, begins with how we live. It can involve formal ministry, but it can also take place through friendships, workplaces, families and local communities. The Christian vocation is not simply about finding the right role. It is about becoming attentive to where God is already at work and asking how we might participate.

Marc Anthony's story, which he shares on the Things I Wish I Knew podcast, also highlights the importance of resilience. Moving to a new country, adapting to a different culture and finding a sense of belonging were not straightforward experiences. His faith did not remove those challenges, but prayer, community and service helped him navigate them. In time, experiences that might initially have felt disruptive became part of the story through which his vocation emerged.

Marc Anthony's story offers encouragement to anyone in a period of transition or uncertainty. We may not always recognise the significance of an experience while we are living through it. A new school, a different city, a change of career or an unexpected opportunity can all become places where God is quietly shaping us.

The same is true of the ordinary encounters of daily life. If mission is understood simply as travelling somewhere to preach, it can seem distant from most people's realities. But if mission means sharing God's love through the way we work, serve, listen and build relationships, then it is already part of our everyday lives.

Marc Anthony's journey suggests that authenticity matters. People encounter the Christian faith not only through what we say, but through how we treat others and the communities we help to build. The invitation to mission is therefore also an invitation to live with greater openness to God and to the people around us.

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