EASTER LIVING: Part 3 of 7

In this series, we’ve been looking at how the truth and goodness of the risen Lord is meant to take shape and bear fruit in our lives as Christians. Last week we looked at the role of Scripture in the life of faith. This week, we’re going to take a look at Jesus’ invitation to discipleship.

At the heart of what it means to be a Christian is the invitation to a life of discipleship. To be a disciple essentially means being a student, it means entering into a sort of training and mentorship under the guidance and direction of a teacher or master. It’s sort of like an apprenticeship in learning a trade; or a doctoral student doing work under and expert in a particular field. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ means entering into the school of Christian living. As disciples, we come under the leadership of Jesus and learn from him the art of living – the way of love of God and love of others. As Pope Benedict XVI said, “In Jesus of Nazareth we encounter the face of God, who came down from his heaven to immerse himself in the human world, in our world, and to teach ‘the art of living’, the road to happiness; to set us free from sin and make us children of God. Jesus came to save us and to show us the good life of the Gospel” (General Audience, 28 Nov 2012).

You see, Jesus isn’t just the revelation of God to us, he is also the revelation of humanity to itself. Jesus shows us not only how great God’s love is for us, but also what our proper love of God and others should look like. In Jesus we see humanity done rightly, therefore, we turn to him and walk in the way of the Gospel in order to become like him. During the last supper, after washing the feet of the apostles, Jesus says, “You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (Jn 13:13-15). Jesus doesn’t just tell us what we ought to do, he shows us. In both his words and his actions, he reveals to us the path to authentic human life. For this reason the Catechism says, “the Word became flesh to be our model of holiness” (CCC 459). During his public ministry, Jesus says to his followers, “take my yoke upon you and learn from me” (Mt 11:29). This is the invitation to discipleship, and invitation to a life giving, transformative relationship with Jesus, whereby we learn from him how to think and act according to the Gospel he proclaimed.

But how do we do this? And what does discipleship actually look like in everyday life? Well, as simplistic as it might sound, the way to become a disciple is to simply decide to be one, to make a decision to surrender your life to Jesus and commit to living according to the good news of the Gospel. There’s no entrance exam that we need to pass; there’s no prerequisites… there’s just the invitation: come, follow me! To be a disciple means to say “yes” to this invitation.

Now, of course we need to know what we’re saying yes to. It’s like getting married; before we say “I do” we should probably know what we’re saying “I do” to! And just as the vows of marriage bring into existence a unique and life changing relationship, in the same way, saying “yes” to a life of discipleship means making a decision to enter into a relationship with Jesus and letting that relationship transform and inform every other aspect of our lives. This decision is precisely what takes place in conversion, which the Church defines as “a radical reorientation of the whole life away from sin and evil, and toward God” (CCC Glossary). This is ultimately what we’re saying “yes” to, to letting God re-create us in his likeness.

As our last 3 popes have said:

“Conversion means accepting, by a personal decision, the saving sovereignty of Christ and becoming his disciple” (John Paul II - Redemptoris Missio, 46).

“Conversion is a choice of faith that draws us fully into intimate communion with the living and concrete person of Jesus… Conversion is the total ‘yes’ of those who surrender their lives to the Gospel, responding freely to Christ” (Pope Benedict XVI - General Audience, Feb 17, 2010).

“Being a Christian means having a living relationship with the person of Jesus; it means putting on Christ, being conformed to him” (Pope Francis - Homily, Oct 4, 2013).

This is the invitation the Gospel presents to us. But it’s up to us to respond. Are you willing to say “yes”? Have you ever told Jesus that you’re really all in? If so, great! Re-commit yourself today to this “yes” and continue to walk along the path of discipleship. If you haven’t, consider what it might mean to say “yes” to Jesus. What might be holding you back? If you’re ready to commit (or re-commit) yourself to life as a disciple, consider this prayer as a way of starting each day:

Heavenly Father, from your goodness and love all things came into being. From your mercy, your beloved Son became man, so that, through Him, you might raise us up to share in your own divine life. Lord Jesus, I want you to be the Lord of my life, this day and every day, so that I might experience now and forever the joy of your friendship. I know that you are always with me; help me to live every moment in the sure knowledge of your love for me. I recognize my need for you and realize that without you I can do nothing. But I also know that you give me all that I need to be your disciple, and that your mercy and grace have the power to transform and renew me every day. Confident in this help, I give myself to you today, come to me and make yourself known. May your Holy Spirit guide all my thoughts, words, and actions. I want to be your disciple, teach me how to live like you. I invite you into my life, and I commit myself to you as my Lord and my God.

Saying “yes” is the first step; but it doesn’t end there. Just as the vows of marriage call us to live out those vows from day to day, so also, this decision to give my life to Jesus as a disciple has implications for my daily life. Saying yes to Jesus’ invitation to discipleship means saying “yes” to following the way of discipleship. What does this actually look like? At the bottom of this page you’ll find several marks of discipleship. We encourage you to reflect upon these and discern what steps God is calling you to take in order to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Keep in mind that God is patient with you. Don’t be overwhelmed or focus on what you’re not doing… simply take some time to consider what steps (however small) you can take to grow in the various marks of discipleship. Remember, growth takes time. Do what you can for now, and over time, continue to work on the rest.

The Marks of Discipleship

A disciple… prays.

• “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God” (CCC 2559).
• “Prayer is an encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him” (CCC 2560).

A disciple… reads the Bible.

• St. Jerome “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.”
• “In the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven comes lovingly to meet his children, and talks with them” (CCC 104).

A disciple… studies/learns.

• “This is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception, to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

A disciple… surrounds themselves with other disciples.

• “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2a).

A disciple… seeks to overcome sin.

• “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received” (Ephesians 4:1).

A disciple… seeks to grow in virtue.

• “The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of His disciples of every condition” (Lumen Gentium, 40).

A disciple… participates in the sacraments.

• The Eucharist “preserves, increases, and renews the life of grace received at Baptism” (CCC 1392).
• “The whole power of the sacrament of Penance consists in restoring us to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship…The sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true ‘spiritual resurrection’, restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God” (CCC 1468).

A disciple… serves.

• “The evangelical witness which the world finds most appealing is that of concern for people, and of charity toward the poor, the weak and those who suffer” (Redemptoris Missio, 42).
• “It is the love of God and the love of one's neighbor which points out the true disciple of Christ” (Lumen Gentium, 42).

A disciple… evangelizes.

• “The obligation of spreading the faith is imposed on every disciple of Christ” (Lumen Gentium, 17).
• “Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others” (Evangelii Gaudium, 127).