For the last several weeks in our Sunday Masses, we have been hearing Jesus teach us about faith. We heard about how, if we can start out of with an amount of faith as small as a mustard seed, that faith can grow and flourish like that small seed that is able to grow into a huge plant. We heard about the disciples being encouraged on their journey of faith when they were in the midst of a terrible storm, when Jesus demonstrated his power and calmed the storm. We also heard about the faith of the woman suffering from hemorrhages, who believed that she would be cured of her affliction if only she could touch Jesus’ cloak.
Our faith is not meant to be guarded and kept to ourselves, which is why after hearing these Gospel stories about faith, we hear Jesus sending out the disciples to be missionaries and to evangelize the world. While thinking about the Gospel today, a few things came to my mind about our faith and about our life of discipleship.
First, we might ask: why would Jesus tell his disciples to bring so few things with them on their journey? For sure, different things can weigh us down on our journey. That is most evident when we going backpacking and have to carry everything with in our backpack. Even small things matter when we carry them everywhere we go. Not just physical things, but also the emotional burdens and worries we carry with us. Jesus wants his disciples to realize that the message of the Gospel was the most important thing. He does not want other things to distract us or take us away from our focus of evangelizing the world.
Another thing that came to mind: the difference in being a disciple and in being an apostle. Each of us as Christians are called to be disciples. The word "disciple" comes from the Latin verb “discere” - which means to learn. A disciple hears Christ’s message, learns from him, accepts his teachings, and lives out those teachings each day. A disciple follows in the footsteps of Jesus.
An apostle is not only a follower of Jesus, but he is an evangelizer of Jesus' message as well. Yes, ALL of us are called to be evangelizers of Christ’s Good News. The word "apostle" has Greek origins - "apostolos" - meaning “one who is sent” by his superiors, a messenger or ambassador. Through baptism, each one of us had a mission to share our faith.
The other important aspect of an apostle is sharing our experience of knowing Jesus with others. We share more than words and ideas; we also share our direct experiences of God. As evangelizers, we’re called to invite others to share in the experience of Jesus, both Christians and non-Christians alike. And think about this: we are all here today because someone shared their faith with us. We are expected to do the same.
Jesus tells us that as evangelizers, we are not always going to be welcome. But, we should just move on to the next household and to shake the dust off our feet if we are not welcome. In our first reading today, the prophet Amos is told to leave Bethel, that the message he has brought is not welcome there. Amos responds by saying that it was not his idea to become a prophet, that he was just a simple shepherd and caretaker of trees. However, while working as a shepherd, God called him to be a prophet. We may sympathize with Amos. We may say: I am a nurse, or a teacher, or an accountant, or an engineer. God is calling me to be an evangelizer? Yes, indeed, as a baptized disciples of Christ, we are ALL to be evangelizers. We are called to invite others to come to know Jesus, to share our faith with them. We will not always get a warm reception, but some will welcome the Good News we have to share with them. Christ works in us and through us, but we have to allow him to do so.
Being sent out by Jesus is not easy. Let us think of ways we can do this each day. In the workplace. At school. In the neighborhood. In our own homes. Yes, in everyday life.
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