It was only after Jesus sent his Spirit upon the disciples at Pentecost that they were given the ability to go out and bring the message of the Gospel to people. We too have received that VERY SAME Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation. We too have the same abilities, qualities and fears the first disciples had. But what qualities does a disciple actually have..I mean, how would you know one if you met one..or how would you know what to be if you wanted to become one? Here are four suggestions:
1. A disciple knows Jesus. They are familiar with Him, what He is about and His message. This comes about because the disciple takes time to get to know Jesus. Our faith is based upon a relationship with a person, Jesus Christ. You get to know Jesus through prayer and the source and summit of all prayer is the Eucharist. In the Eucharist (Mass), Christ prays through us to the Father...what an incredible thought!! Traditionally, a disciple sat at the feet of their Master listening and learning from their Wisdom...for us we are in the privileged position that our Master, Jesus Christ, is also Our Brother and Our Friend and He IS WISDOM, not just somebody who passes wisdom on.
2. A disciple lives their lives knowing that they are loved by God. This can be a tough one, especially today when we are often surrounded by negative images of God or we are told that to believe in God is old fashioned or just plain stupid. The disciple, however, goes back all the time to point one, because they know, and have, a relationship with Jesus, they also know that they are loved and loved in an immense way. We are loved, totally, as we are right now.....this is hard for us to grasp as we are always striving to be better, to be more than we are....but God loves us totally, just as we are right now. The disciple knows this and lives in the light of this.
3. A disciple loves others as Jesus loves them. Another toughy, I agree. This is the essential message of Jesus..'Love one another as I have loved you' (John 13:34). How did Jesus love us...well, to the point that he was willing to give his life for our freedom. For us, what does giving our lives mean? It can mean being open to others...being compassionate towards others...not judging so fast...being willing to help others out...seeking communion rather than difference..bringing joy and peace to all we meet. Jesus knows that this isn't easy but calls us to do these things especially towards those people we find challenging.
4. A disciple introduces others to Jesus. If you have somebody so great in your life...wouldn't you want others to know about them? Our faith is not one to be lived in isolation. We are part of the Catholic Church and catholic means universal...for everybody. Disciples bring Jesus to others often by their example. St Francis of Assisi said 'preach the Gospel (which means, in other words, go tell people about Jesus) at all times and, if necessary, use words!'
So how do you become a disciple:
1. Get to know Jesus better...build a relationship with Him. The mistake people often make is that Jesus is either seen as a historical figure consigned to books and legends or that he is in a far away place, not in touch with us or what we experience. What does Jesus have to say about this? His response is simple 'I am with you always, even to the end of time' (Matthew 28:20). Jesus is ALIVE, He is HERE and He is REAL.
2. Be patient with yourself. Discipleship is a journey of faith and into faith. The first disciples didn't 'get it' over and over again...arguing about which disciple was the greatest (Luke 22:24), Peter denying he knew Jesus (Luke 22:54 - 62) and Thomas not believing that Jesus had Risen (John 20:25 - 28). Despite all of this, Jesus knew what they were capable of, He (Jesus) believed in them even when they didn't believe in themselves.
3. Get involved. Discipleship involves action. We cannot be disciples in isolation, we need others. Other to bring Jesus to (Evangelisation) and others that we can pray with, work with, laugh and cry with (Communion). There are so many ways to get involved...praying daily, learning more about your faith, reading and studying the Catechism, going to Mass, getting involved in your parish or a prayer group, reaching out to those most in need and of course going to an event like Rio in Dublin is a great start!!
From our Baptism we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, we are new creations in Christ, we are loved with a bigger L than I can write here just as we are. However you are also commissioned and called to live in accordance with these truths. To be generous of heart, to love others, to help others, to come to know God more, to be thankful even in hard times, to trust, to believe.
The Prophet Micah sums it all up beautifully 'And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God'. (Micah 6:8)
Pax
Br Martin OFM Cap
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