Discipleship 101

 

Discipleship 101

The Gospel for today is the choosing of the Twelve Apostles. If you read through the narrative, it seems there is nothing much to learn but an enumeration ;of names with a little bit of whose son is who. But in the second verse, there is a seeming insignificant item that we cannot afford to disregard. In verse 14, it says, “He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (emphasis mine).

To be with Him and to send them out—these are two important moments in the business of discipleship. To be with Him refers to union. To send them out refers to mission. These two moments are inseparable and they complete one another. Union without mission is like preparing for a marathon without running. Mission without union is like running a marathon without training.

Union precedes mission. The wise principle says, “You cannot give what you do not have.” So if the Twelve were expected to Christify the world, they needed to be with Christ—to spend time, to “waste” time with Christ. The mission of the Twelve is to be Christ to the world. “Christ” means the Anointed One. The Twelve cannot anoint the world from within. They need to get out, to be sent, to be out on mission.

What does this have to do with you and me? If you consider yourself a Christian, this is your calling. A Christian is not a real Christian if union with Christ is not a compelling desire of his heart. Take away C-H-R-I-S-T from the word “Christian” and you are left with I-A-N, which spells out as “I Am Nothing.”

Encounter Jesus in regular personal prayer. Meet Christ in the Scriptures. Be cleansed by His forgiveness in the sacrament of reconciliation. Above all, be one with Him in His real presence in the Eucharist.

And then share Christ to the world. Be Christ to others in works of charity. Serve Him in the poor and needy. Share the beauty of Christ in the witness of your life. Invite others with the fragrance of joy in the Spirit. Fr. Joel Jason

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reflection question

Don’t let your Christianity be just nominal. Make it phenomenal.

Here I am, Lord, send me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: ____________________________________

Daily Bible Reading - January 22, 2021

 First Reading | Hebrews 8:6-13

God gradually reveals Himself to us. It is rare that He reveals everything in one go. If we know God’s complete plan for us, it may be too much for us to handle and this could discourage us. This is why we have to be committed to prayer—to grow daily in our understanding of God’s will and purpose for us.

⁶ Brothers and sisters: Now our high priest has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises. ⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, no place would have been sought for a second one. ⁸ But he finds fault with them and says: Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers the day I took them by the hand to lead them forth from the land of Egypt; for they did not stand by my covenant and I ignored them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ But this is the covenant I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹¹ And they shall not teach, each one his fellow citizen and kin, saying, "Know the Lord," for all shall know me, from least to greatest. ¹² For I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sins no more. ¹³ When he speaks of a "new" covenant, he declares the first one obsolete.And what has become obsolete and has grown old is close to disappearing.

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Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 85:8, 10, 11-12, 13-14

R: Kindness and truth shall meet.

⁸ Show us, O Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation. ¹⁰ Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land. (R) ¹¹Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. ¹² Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R) ¹³The Lord himself will give his benefits. Our land shall yield its increase. ¹⁴ Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. (R)

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Gospel | Mark 3:13-19

Jesus worked closely with only a few men and prepared them for the ministry of the Gospel after His ascension into heaven. The Apostles were the chosen few. However, there were also the seventy-two in Luke’s Gospel and the seventy in Matthew; there were also the women who accompanied Him in His ministry. This tells us that each of us has a role in the work of salvation. Let us discover what is ours and perform it as best as we can.

Gospel Acclamation

God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

¹³ Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. ¹⁴ He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach ¹⁵ and to have authority to drive out demons: ¹⁶ He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; ¹⁷ James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; ¹⁸ Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, 19 and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

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 Reflect:

"Ministry is not a job or a Sunday routine. It’s a privilege to be chosen and used by Jesus." (Anonymous)

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Read the Bible in one year. Read Matthew 19 - 21 today!