Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them,"All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

This succinct, but challenging passage concludes the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus has prepared his disciples to continue the mission he has begun. His own public ministry was his was of showing them how his ministry is to be carried out into the years, decades and centuries ahead. I can appreciate that they must have felt more than a little apprehensive as Jesus entrusted this great work to them. Those first days when they had to “step up” and “just do it” must have been strange for them. An image that comes to my mind is of someone about to use a bicycle without training wheels for the very first time.

Another image comes to mind as I remember learning how to swim. It was in the Atlantic Ocean. Tom, a friend of my Dad’s, was teaching me to kick my legs and use my arms, all in an effort to propel myself forward in the surf. He would cup his hand under my chin and I would flail away in the water, legs kicking and arms splashing. Then he suddenly removed his cupped hand from beneath my chin and I automatically tried to stand up in the water. But unknown to me, we had come to a place where the water was just a little deeper than my height, so I briefly panicked, swallowed a few mouthfuls of saltwater, and then heard Tom yell at me to kick my legs and swing my arms… which I immediately began to do, and so took my first independent strokes as a swimmer.

In a sense, the disciples (and perhaps we ourselves) feel that we’re in above our heads when it comes to “making disciples”. Yet it lies within the primary commandment of Jesus for the Church. Pope Paul VI reminded us that sharing the good news is the primary reason that the Church exists in the first place. Evangelization, literally sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in our lives, is our “deepest identity”, he wrote, and these words have been quoted and reaffirmed by John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis ever since. Sharing the goodness we experience in life because of our relationship with Jesus is not something that we need to shy away from or apologize to anyone for. We are not about trying to proselytize people, or force them to have a conversation about God. We are not trying to convince people of the truths of our faith or the veracity of our scriptures. We are simply expected share the joy of our own experience.

If we’re not used to doing this with others, it can feel very strange at first. We might even swallow a few mouthfuls of salt water before we realize it's a more natural thing to do than not. Once we begin to do it, our “discipleship muscles” find that they are being exercised and that we don’t have to work so hard at it. Occasionally we might find ourselves feeling a little overwhelmed, but that’s ok… we remember to just “kick our legs and move our arms”, and everything works out. In many ways, this was the experience of the great faith-figures we know as the Eleven… Peter, Andrew, James, John, and so on. They had their own fair share of ups and downs, but they learned that they could just keep moving forward by sticking to the basics and trusting the promise of Jesus: “ I am with you always, until the end of the age.” That’s a promise that’s good for us too. It remains true for us that we are never alone when we are willing to share the goodness that is ours in Christ Jesus.

Pope Francis reminds us that “being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey.” That said, If anyone still feels the need for “training wheels” I might suggest beginning to share with someone who loves you...  a close friend, a spouse, a significant person in your life… And be prepared for the amazing blessings that come your way.

Breathe. Kick your legs. Move your arms. Enjoy the fullness of life that God offers.