Gospel Matthew 28:16-20
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.
"Go therefore and make disciples." The Divine Command! Do we take Jesus at His Word? When Jesus says; "Go and make disciples", what does this mean to me? Go means move! Move out of oneself and to another! In order to follow this command of our Lord, to 'go', one thing is necessary, we must first Trust Him. Trust is foundational in a disciple. Trust fills your heart with joy! Trust lays your heart to rest. An interesting point to notice, that as they doubt, the very next sentence says, he approached them. What comforting words, that whenever we doubt, He approaches, He is the one who comes closer, He is the one who reassures us, He is the one who helps us follow through, As young sisters, Mother Teresa told us, that Trust is 'born' from being with Jesus, spending time with Him, listening to Him and sharing my heart with Him, especially those places in my heart, that seem so disappointing to myself, so frustrating, so hopeless for change. Do I do this daily? To share Jesus with others, I must know Him, and this knowledge through faith, will give birth to Love and that love that is born, will be the fire that burns inside eager to set others aflame.
"Love Jesus Trustfully, without looking back, without fear. Give yourself fully to Jesus and He will use you to do great things, provided they you believe more in His greatness than in your weakness. Trust Him with blind and confident Trust because He IS Jesus!" (St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta)
2nd point: Action-the Action of Love!
If we look at this Gospel carefully, there are 'action verbs': "Go, make, baptize, teach." There is 'movement' required of us, as disciples of our Lord, a 'going out' of ourselves. What is that movement? It isn't meant to be 'activity, for activities sake,' but rather something entirely different. The activity we are being drawn into, is the activity of the Holy Spirit-the constant stirring, enlivening, healing, re-creating, cooperating, drawing; the Spirit is never just doing 'nothing.' Love 'is loving', a present tense activity, ongoing-ever moving. We can live safe, self-satisfied lives, or...we can live under the movement and in the flow of the Holy Spirit, we can move with Him, follow His impulses and these all take us out of ourselves. Every State of Life; Married life, the Priesthood, Consecrated Life and Single Life- we are all called to holiness, which is to 'move' with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Love. Yesterday we were blessed to be at the Ordination of young man, whom we have known since 2009. He followed the 'Call' to leave himself, to let go of normal and healthy human desires in order to to go out (for the Love of God) and make disciples of all nations, teaching them what He has been taught to observe. We are not asked to do the same things, in cooperating with God, but we are asked to cooperate with God- cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We are called each one of us in our respective states of life, to live out the Gospel fully, seeking to cooperate with the Holy Spirit, in the work of making disciples, teaching others from what we have been given/gifted. And this will cost us-this will empty us of ourselves, as St. Mother Teresa often said. "Go and make disciples..." Whom did you meet recently, or perhaps a family member, who keeps coming into your mind and heart, and you know you need to 'go out' and spend time with them, helping them to accept the cross in their life, helping them perhaps, to get back 'on-track' (James 5:20)
Lord, Increase our Faith, teach us to live and move by the Spirits lead- Amen
Fr Bryce Evans-ordained a priest of Jesus Christ-May 27th, 2017