Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School

Embracing God’s People - Equipping Disciples - Accompanying Believers

Last week I shared some reflections on what it means to be a parish of believers who are committed to equipping disciples. I shared with you some of my reflections on St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which he makes it very clear that it is the responsibility of the community (the parish) to equip the holy ones (believers) for the work of ministry and the building up of the Body of Christ. Paul sees the work of equipping as a mandate for the community of believers, as an essential part of being a follower of Jesus.

But however strange the word “equip” might seem to us, the word “disciple” is another word that deserves our consideration. What exactly do we mean when we use the word “disciple”?

In our first reading today, we hear of the call of Abraham. God has a purpose for this man of Ur who is to become the Patriarch of generations of believers. God has a purpose for each one of us too. The second letter to Timothy reminds us that God has “saved us and called us to a holy life”, a particular life in Christ. In our gospel, as we read and listen to the narrative of the Transfiguration, we hear the word “disciple” used in reference to Peter, James and John, who accompanied Jesus up the mountain. The word disciple has the connotation of one who is called, and one who has a purpose.

 A disciple, in the gospels, is a person who has given themselves over as an apprentice, who comes to another to learn from them. More explicitly, in the context of the gospels, a disciple is a person who comes to Jesus, to listen to him, to learn from him, and to follow in his way. Those who come to Jesus and who listen to his message but who choose not to follow in his way are not considered disciples. They seem to linger and enjoy his teaching for a while, but then, for whatever reason, they choose to return to their former way of life rather than following in the way of life that Jesus proposes. Sometimes, as in the case of the young man who can’t let go of his current lifestyle (Mt. 19:16-30), someone may greatly desire to follow Jesus, but just find it too difficult, too demanding.

The deepest purpose of the Church, as it is expressed in the Church’s own teaching, is to share the Good News of Jesus with the world. Popes and catechisms speak of evangelization as the very reason for the Church's existence. The gospels see that evangelization, the sharing of the Good News of Jesus, is the work of all believers, and the Great Commission that we read in Matthew’s gospel (Mt 28:16-20) has Jesus command that the Eleven go and make disciples. The baptizing and teaching that accompanies this work of making disciples is carried out by the Church in all manner of ways, and it is for us here at Our lady of Lourdes to discern how we can best do it in our own time, two millennia later.

Taking into consideration these scriptural themes of what it means to be a disciple, for our purposes here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we think of a disciple in the year 2017 as a person who

• can acknowledge that they need and desire a relationship with God in Jesus,
• who finds support and nourishment for their life in the Word of God (Scripture) and in the sacramental life of God’s people,
• who is committed to deepening their personal relationship with Jesus, and
• who comes to share their joy and their passion for Jesus with others.

In another column we will consider some of the implications of what it means to be a disciple, how we “make disciples” here at OLL, and how we foster discipleship in our living our faith and in engaging in our ministries.