5th Sunday after Easter 9.5.21 Discipleship
A disciple is one who learns. What do we learn from Christ,
His methods His words and actions, His overall plan incorporating the Cross and
Resurrection?
The climactic events of Our Lord’s ministry were short in duration, but He has spent a long time forming the disciples – showing them as well as telling them.
He wants to teach us, to form us, to be more like Himself.
When there is sufficient closeness between disciple and master, the master’s legacy can continue.
The apostles and early disciples were never as good as Our Lord but they were close enough to be agents of many miracles and abundance of grace.
Now we are the disciples. It is our time in the sun. Do we shine with similarity to Christ?
We have graduated, or will be soon. It is time we stood on our own two feet. This is what Confirmation does. Of course, we are never entirely on our own. We always have access to the Lord.
We would be happier if Our Lord was still with us, in visible form.
But what if we cannot see Him? We can feel very vulnerable; yet we must carry on the work.
He assures us we have everything we need; it is just a matter of knowing where to look.
We learn by practice, from our mistakes and from our prayer for guidance.
When things are running as they should, good things will come about, as it were naturally. The supernatural becomes natural, we might say. Miracles will abound if there is enough faith and charity in circulation.
Some things are for all of us such as trust, forgiving others,
There are other things which go with the individual - particular gifts applicable to that person.
History shows how hard it is for Christians to be like Christ. Why is it so hard? Because it requires certain qualities to get going such as humility, patience, forbearance… and these are not easy to attain.
Being a disciple of Christ is not just doing a job and then going home. It applies in all times and places, and requires many different things according to the circumstances.
We are never off duty in this sense. We are on call. Like the wise virgins (Mt 25,1-11) or faithful servants (Mt 24,42-51).
It is not necessarily dramatic action required. Most of the time it will be quiet everyday things that emerge from our life situation. Household tasks like cooking, cleaning, nursing, unpaid work. Not forgetting prayer.
As long as it is what God wants us to be doing, whether it be normal or something special.
We bring His love into the place. We ask for charity wisdom etc to have the attitude right.
If we fail in some way we learn as we go and ask pardon.
Popular thinking makes it look easy to be a disciple - just believe a few things, and perform a few ceremonies, otherwise not much trouble.
Our Lord wants perfection from us, at least in the heart. To be like Him is the goal.
We have a lot to learn. It is not easy to love one’s neighbour or forgive one’s enemy, or be always joyful etc.
Not easy but not impossible. It can be done by the grace of God assisting us.
This is why He took so long to form the disciples. These changes could not happen overnight.
But they did learn their lesson, and so can we.
All this is preparing us for Heaven, where by then we really will be images of the Master.
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