The call of Jesus to become the missionaries was not a call to the twelve only; in the gospels we find that all disciples are called to be prophets, apostles, righteous ones and children, and participate in the mission incarnating these figures that are figures expressing Christ ministry. Then, how can a disciple find courage to live such a life?
If we try to live as prophets, apostles, righteous ones, and children of God, we can understand why Jesus sent his disciples with authority. That authority of the word, the practice of the word and the simplicity of life. All that gives us the possibility to proclaim forgiveness of sins, love, reconciliation, and friendship. I think that there are a lot of opportunities to communicate the message, but at the same time there are a lot of things that we need to consider when we communicate about ourselves. We are humans and as humans we make mistakes, we can hurt others and we can be hurt by others, but the grace of God is the space where we can experience the forgiveness of our sins. That grace is our safe ground and with that grace we can move forward against the temptations and recover from our falls. Temptations and falls are part of the journey, but also forgiveness and new beginnings. This is the way we can do things together and feel that we can grow in our relationship with Christ. It is not an easy way; it is a way marked by the cross. The cross is our cross, we die there also, and we are saved dying to our sins there. Our sins need to die daily, and a new life needs to emerge because of the love of God operating in our community and in our personal experience. Welcoming others and to be welcomed by others are the real challenges that we need to accept as part of our Christian life. Welcoming is the call, but welcoming is not an easy experience, because welcoming implies to welcome the challenge that others are bringing into our life. The people around us bring blessings, and we need to be ready to welcome the blessings they are bringing to us. You need to enrich your life of discipleship and impoverish your life of sin. Sin and sinful behaviors need to be attacked with a life of discipleship. Spiritual maturity and humility need to grow and be enriched, so the grace of God can abound in us and be shared with others as a testimony of the love of God transforming us and liberating us from fear and mistake. This is the miracle of discipleship, the opportunity to experience in our lifetime the power of God transforming us according to the image and will of Christ. Open your hearts and minds to the newness of the Gospel, accept the challenge to be a prophet, an apostle, a righteous one and a child of God, and see how the transformation of your life of discipleship as a follower of Christ is enriched and through your enrichment other people are also blessed with the same blessings of the gifts of God that you will be carrying with you wherever you go. In Matthew 10:34 Jesus says: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” The Christian message is always questioning and confronting the world, interrogating the world and our own conscience to find if we understand that the presence of God is real and that God himself is revealing his power and love when we ask for the divine providence in our favor.
Jesus is sending us as his disciples into the mission field. He warned us that we would not always be welcomed, since the world is not a friendly space. The gospel is a message of healing, hope, and peace but the gospel is not always welcomed. This contrast between the gospel and the world brings about divisions. Jesus described them as to set son against father, daughter against mother (Matthew 10:35). The call to live the gospel is a call to integrity, a call to never sugarcoat the reality of the problems that daily we must face, and prophetically assume the challenges. Don’t be afraid of the problems or adverse circumstances but invite with your example of patience and faith other people to open their minds and hearts to receive the call to follow Jesus and carry the cross with us. A more intense relationship in love with God will provide more peace and security to our souls. Because this is the most important thing that we need to understand, God´s love is the real victory over the power of terror, anxiety and fear of death that is attacking us nowadays. Fear to lose our lives, safety and possessions is behind a lot of anxiety and panic attacks. Fear to be ill and not recover, fear of the weakness that comes with aging, fear to be alone, fear to be disconnected and abandoned. But all these fears can be overcome with the assurance that the love of God is present in the person of Jesus living and enlivening us. When we love God, we have the power to defeat our fears, because God is the source of life, and to love God means to embrace life. Christianity is unique for this reason, because we respect humanity and promote human rights. We believe that to be human is good, but because there is something more, to be human is to be also the temple of the Holy Spirit. To be human is to be part of what God also wanted to embrace. God in Christ is God with us, and God is living in us. Jesus´ incarnation has elevated our humanity to be the scenario where the mystery of God also lives and thrives. Every society and every generation have their own challenging times. The world is always struggling, you, your families and neighbors are always facing new circumstances, like challenges in the economic, social, and health issues. For this reason, the message of Jesus needs to be proclaimed again from the top of the houses, openly, fearlessly, courageously, the message of love and the message of justice. That is why we are here, that is why we have been called in our baptism: to be disciples, to be witnesses, to make present the power of justice and the power of love, to be spiritually alive and not spiritually death, to fear God and not the world, to love others and receive love. God as the Creator Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit created together in harmony. And God is inviting us to join, and to invite others to the communion of love, creativity, and unity. God created and liberated the world from chaos, and we need to remember that message especially in these days that are marked by uncertainty, war, conflict, and chaos in many places around the world and in our country.
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AuthorPastor Jose Luis´reflexions. Archives
June 2024
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