Fall Orientation 2026: Just Because

By Anna N., preparing for mission in El Salvador

At orientation, I was confused to hear one of the missionaries say that we love “for nothing” or, as she worded it, “we love just because.” This didn’t make sense to me. Why would we go to such an extreme of learning a new language, meeting countless new people, and adjusting to a new culture “for nothing” or “just because”? The action seems disproportionate. I thought about this question as I went to visit the nursing home and I met an elderly woman named Beatrice. Beatrice is rarely visited by her adult children and is confined to her bed, even unable to attend Mass. We visited with her, listened to her, and prayed with her. It was such a simple visit. Nothing earth-shattering happened as far as I could tell, no lives were changed, and nothing extremely profound was discussed. It was almost as if we were there all for nothing, and as if we had visited this elderly, sick woman just because she is lonely and forgotten by her family, and suffering from her illness. Suddenly, the words of the other missionary started to make sense. We don’t go on missions because it’s flashy, or to advance our career, or to earn something from God. We go on mission to love people, just because – for nothing.