Wanted: Missionary Disciples (3rd Sunday Ordinary A)

“We are all missionary disciples.” Pope Francis stresses in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, that by virtue of baptism, “Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: We no longer say that we are ‘disciples’ and ‘missionaries’, but rather that we are always ‘missionary disciples’” (EG, 120).

We are always missionary disciples. We are called so that we might be sent. We are invited to a deeper friendship with the Lord so that we can go forth to share the joy of that fellowship to all. Discipleship is not just following the Lord. It also means being sent just as today’s gospel recounts how the Lord called his first disciples who were fishermen so that they might become fishers of men: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19).

Let us reflect then deeper on the meaning and implications of this calling in the light of today’s gospel (Mt 4:12-23). First, we may ask, “What does it take to be a disciple of Christ?” What does it require of me to follow Christ? And second, how should we understand the missionary nature of discipleship?

Discipleship and its Cost. Spiritual writers and theologians have been using the phrase, “the cost of discipleship,” or “costly discipleship” as opposed to “cheap discipleship.” These refer to the fact that when we decide to follow Christ, such a decision is never easy because there is a high cost to it. Discipleship is demanding. When it does not require something great from us, chances are it is unauthentic discipleship; it is cheap as it is empty. 

In the light of today’s gospel reading, it is discernible that the cost of discipleship is high indeed. When the Lord, walking by the Sea of Galilee, invited some fishermen—Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew—to come after him, “at once they left their nets and followed him” (v. 20).  Walking further along, the Lord saw two other brothers in a boat, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. The Lord called them and “immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him” (v. 22).

If we were fishermen, what would the fishing net and boat mean to us? Of course, these would be very important to us as these could mean more than just things; the net and the boat could well represent our means of living, our very way of life which most probably has been handed down to us by our parents.  Hence, today’s gospel is illustrating to us that to follow the Lord, to be his disciple requires leaving behind a way of life—nets, boats, fathers included! No mean feat indeed.

To turn away from all that we have clung to in life is also a process called conversion, in Greek, metanoia, which means a change of heart.  In today’s gospel, as Jesus begins his public ministry, he calls for metanoia for the sake of God’s Kingdom: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (v. 17). As he calls his disciples, he invites them to a change of heart. To be able to follow him in the path of the kingdom of God, those called have to leave behind the life they have gotten used to otherwise they would not be able to embrace the new life offered by the Lord. They have to turn away from an old value system that they may embrace the new values of Christ and the Kingdom.

Discipleship demands conversion. When we don’t take this demand seriously, when we prefer not to be disturbed as we follow the Lord, our discipleship is a sham because, for all we know, we have not actually left our boats and nets.  We may just be fooling ourselves.

What stands as our fishing net or boat? To follow the Lord more truthfully, what do we need to let go of? A meaningless work? A destructive relationship? Attachment to things? Addictions? Materialistic and narcissistic lifestyle?

Missionary Option.  To use the term of Pope Francis, “missionary option” may mean for us as our decision to be always in a state of mission. Discipleship always implies a missionary option.  Whoever the Lord calls to come after him is in not only for friendship with him but precisely for a mission: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” It is not for nothing that we leave behind our nets and boats and fathers. When we courageously choose to follow the Lord, we experience the infinite love and mercy of God; we experience the reign of God in our lives. We experience total salvation. It is this tremendous goodness of God that propels us with joy to become fishers of men. We go forth and share to all people this joy of being loved and saved.

We are always missionary disciples. Discipleship is not only following the Lord and enjoying fellowship with him and with the other disciples; it is also being sent to the lost, the least, and the last that they too may also hear, through us, the good news of the saving love of God, that they too may choose to belong to the kingdom of God.

To whom are we sent? Who are the lost, the least, and the last in our community? An aging parent? A wayward sibling? Uncatechized children? A hungry neighbor?  An unwed couple? A destroyed environment?

All too often we tend to choose to be safe and comfortable with our old fishing nets and boats. Courtesy, perhaps, of our protective parents.  But when we remain always in our safe and comfort zones we do not grow much. We end up bored and unhappy. Life is robbed of joy. Or as disciples, we may just choose to stay in the consoling fellowship of the Lord with the exclusive elect without reaching out to others; such discipleship is narcissistic.   

The true disciples of Christ are daring. Risk-takers. Courageous.  They leave behind their comfort zones--nets, boats, and fathers--to reach out to others and proclaim the saving love of God. Their lives are never boring but are always filled with joy.  Such is the beautiful invitation to become fishers of men, to become missionary disciples.

Identity and Mission (Baptism of our Lord B)

(grabbed from http://elcaandy.blogspot.com)

After an exhausting hectic schedule of activities during the Christmas season, a parish priest and his parochial vicar felt they needed a break like going, perhaps, to a place where they can enjoy their peace and quiet. So, they talked about their options. To cut the story short, they ended up in Boracay! Not bad. To maximize their resting experience, they decided to be anonymous. So they sported clothes usually worn by tourists. When they were there lying on the beach with their sunglasses on, a gorgeous lady in a sexy two-piece red bikini was passing by. But they were surprised because the lady hesitated but greeted them: “Hello there, good morning… enjoy the day… FATHERS.” They were taken aback! How did this lady recognize them as priests! They thought of changing their outfits. So they rushed to the nearest store to buy new sets of more daring clothes! The next morning they were again seated on the sand enjoying the lovely view. Again this same sexy lady was passing by. The two priests were confident that they would no longer be recognized. The lady passed by. Greeted them: “Have a nice day… FATHERS!” The parish priest called out: “Hey, miss. Yes, we are priests but how on earth did you recognize us?” The lady smiled. Took off her sunglasses and said, “Oh… Fathers… you didn’t recognize me… I’m Sister Rebecca.”

Where does our identity lie? Is it in the clothes we wear? Or more precisely to the point I would like to make, where does our Christian identity lie? Is it in the Christian name we carry? Is it in the documents we bring along with us? Perhaps the baptismal certificate?  Or in the fact that we are present in the festive church activities like the Misa de Gallo perhaps? Or later, holy week activities?

Several years ago, I participated in the tabulation and analysis of the result of the survey done in Mindanao in preparation for the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference (MSPC). And one of the significant observations that came out of the survey was the phenomenon which had been brought out by PCP II already in 1991-- the phenomenon of nominal Catholicism. Nominal. Nombre. Name. In other words, Catholics in name only! These are baptized Catholics. They are baptized but, alas, not evangelized. They bear Christian names and documents but they have not allowed the euangelion--- the gospel-- to shape their lives. No wonder, the Philippines enjoys the dignity of being the only Christian country in Asia, while all at the same time topping the ranks of the most corrupt ones!

The Feast of the Baptism of our Lord today allows us to realize that there is more to baptism than just receiving a name and that if we just all understood the meaning of our baptism and we live by it, we would not be confronted with this phenomenon of nominal Catholicism.  Let us then examine the event of the baptism of our Lord and see what it teaches us as regards our own baptism and identity as Christians.

In today’s gospel (Mk. 1:7-11), Jesus was baptized by John and a voice was heard from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (v. 11). This is a confirmation of Jesus’ own discernment about who he is. In Mark's gospel, which does not have Jesus' infancy narrative, it is on Jesus' baptism that Jesus' divine sonship is manifested for the first time. His baptism. therefore, is the moment of revelation about his true identity. On his baptism, Jesus confirms that He is the Son of God.

Connected to this identity is his mission as the Messiah.  On this same event of his baptism, Jesus was anointed by the Spirit who descended upon Him like a dove (v. 10).    He was anointed as the Messiah who would bring the good news of the Kingdom of God. In Luke's gospel, after Jesus' baptism, Jesus would stand in the synagogue and proclaim that the Spirit of the Lord is upon him and anointed him to bring good news to the poor. To give sight to the blind, to set the captives free… (Lk 4: 18).

Jesus baptism reveals to him both his identity and his mission. My dear friends, our baptism is a baptism after that of the Lord’s. Hence, like the baptism of our Lord, our baptism confers us with identity and mission. In baptism, we become sons and daughters of God in Christ. What a great dignity! An identity that will always be there whether we are on vacation or not. Have we lived up to such greatness of dignity? Do I show in my way of living the fact that I am God’s son or daughter?

Connected to this dignified identity is the Christian mission. Our baptism confers us with the threefold mission of Christ--priestly, prophetic, and kingly missions. As priests, we are sent to sanctify our families and communities through our prayer and worship, As prophets, we are sent to proclaim with joy to the whole world the Good News of God’s love and to denounce with courage the destructive influence of evil. As kings, we are sent as humble servants to journey with the poor, to help provide for the deprived, and to work for the empowerment of the oppressed. Have I embraced my mission with joy and dedication?

Today we start the first week in ordinary time. I think this is the real challenge: Our baptism has to be lived out not just in the peak moments of our Church life. We have to be faithful to our identity and mission day after day! And this is because our Christian faith does not take a leave. Christian faith is not contained in papers. Christian faith is a lifestyle. It is a way of life--whether we are at work or we are enjoying our peace and quiet in some exotic place.

Holy Heroes (Baptism of Our Lord A)

HOLY HEROES. This was the title of the formation program for the Year of the Laity in 2014 published by the CBCP’s Commission on the Laity. “Holy Heroes,” we now recall, embodies the theme “Called to be Saints, Sent Forth as Heroes.” All these refer to the vocation of the laity to live holy and heroic lives amid the challenges and opportunities in the Church and in society.

This is, indeed, a far cry from the outmoded pay-pray-and-obey passive view of the laity’s role in the Church. And thanks be to God! We are now outgrowing the highly clericalized Church, dominated by the hierarchy of bishops, priests, and religious where the laity is passive and silent alienated from the real life and mission of the Church.

What is the key to the growing respect for a more active and participative role of the laity? I believe it is the deeper appreciation of the grace of baptism. It is by virtue of our common baptism that we all share in the responsibility of fulfilling the Church’s mission of evangelization.

(picture grabbed from http://joyfulpapist.wordpress.com)

Today’s Feast of the Lord’s Baptism lends itself to our desire to gain deeper insights into our own baptism in Christ.

Why did Jesus Christ submit himself to John’s baptism of repentance? In today’s gospel reading (Mt 3:13-17), John tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized as he felt unworthy and, of course, as he knew that Jesus had no need of repentance.   But the Lord insisted that this must be allowed in order to “fulfill all righteousness” (v. 15). This refers to Jesus’ acceptance of God’s salvific will, i.e. Jesus was to come as Savior in sharing the lot of a sinful people while being recognized as God’s son. Indeed, after Jesus was baptized, the spirit of God descended upon him and a voice came from heaven, saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (v.16-17).

In short, Jesus’ baptism was a confirmation of his identity as the beloved Son of God and his mission as the Savior of all nations. 

Similarly, we can understand our own baptism in Christ in terms of this identity-mission paradigm.  We are called to be saints and sent forth as heroes.

Called to be Saints. In baptism, we die in Christ as we immerse in water and rise into new life with Christ as we emerge from the water of baptism.  Hence, we are born into new life, new identity. We become the beloved sons and daughters of God through Jesus Christ.

Indeed, the old life enslaved by sin is no more. In baptism, we are called to be faithful to our identity as adopted sons and daughters of God. Every day, all of us are called to live holy lives. We are called to be saints. I believe, this simply means that we sustain the divine life we share in Christ through baptism.

Many years ago, the call to holiness tended to be understood as directed only to the religious people and priests probably because of their religious vows and ordination to the sacred orders.  While indeed they ought to be effective witnesses and models of holy lives, they do not have the exclusive right to this calling. Now, we have accepted with ease that it is our common baptism that makes this calling to holiness universal.  The laity too is called to live holy lives. They are called to be saints, God’s sons and daughters whom God is well pleased.

Sent Forth as Heroes.  Heroes are those with strong sense of mission.  They go out of their own comfort zones and lay down everything they have even their lives for causes beyond their own personal interest, i.e., for love of others, God and country.

In baptism and confirmation, we all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. All baptized are enabled by the Spirit to participate in the mission of Christ. With manifold charisms, we all enrich the ministries and apostolate of the Church which are but the expressions of our participation in the threefold missions of Christ—the priestly, prophetic, and kingly missions.

Again, today we have gradually left behind the understanding that the mission of the Church belongs only to the clergy and religious. The lay people also are now recognized as missionaries. By virtue of baptism, they have the empowering gifts of the Holy Spirit which translate into the tasks of participating in the life and mission of the Church.

The lay are sent as heroes. The world needs heroes—heroes who sanctifies families and communities through their prayer and worship, heroes who joyfully proclaim to the world the Good News of God’s love and who firmly denounce the destructive influence of evil, heroes who lay down their lives in service of the poor, the deprived, and the oppressed. They are heroes who are priestly, prophetic, and kingly after the heart of Jesus Christ.

On this Feast of the Lord’s Baptism, we pray for the renewal of the Church's sense of mission through the empowerment of the lay people by virtue of their baptism, activating their charisms from the Spirit, so that they may indeed take up their role as co-responsible agents of evangelization and of social transformation. May the appreciation of the beauty and power of their baptism help them take up their calling to become holy heroes, called to be saints and sent forth as heroes into the world.