Discipleship: A life-long commitment

Love is universal. The Church in its definition fulfills the sentiments of being Catholic. Discipleship is not a supposed second step in Christianity, as if one first becomes a believer in Jesus and then, if he chooses, a disciple. From the beginning, discipleship is involved in what it means to be a Christian. Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to fish for people; calls James and John, the sons of Zebedee in a similar way. The Apostles share a special form of discipleship with Jesus.
The women in today’s gospel share a unique discipleship with Jesus as well. This call is personal and costly for all Christians, and also those who sincerely acknowledge God’s love and respond to His invitation. It demands a lot from us: Jesus’ ‘follow me’ is not just an invitation, rather, it is a command. These women were not just taking the invitation of Jesus, but obeying the command of God. They were paying a heavy price for their call, their vocation.
Discipleship calls for constant renewal of the self. Repentance is one such thing that a disciple cannot avoid in responding the command of God to follow Him. These women, like the Apostles were renewed personally and graced by Jesus personally. Since the command is so necessary and personally demanding, the reward is great as well, in fact the reward is thirty fold, sixty fold and hundred fold.
Discipleship is a life time commitment. And this commitment calls for periodic renewal with Sacramental grace. That is where Eucharist plays a vital role. All discipleships are aimed at working towards a culture of love. As disciples we are embraced by that Love that comes from the Heart of God to bring others to that Heart so that the world may see the glory of God. It is a great honour and responsibility to live as disciples of Christ. The word ‘Disciple’ always carries the aspect of ‘learning’ with it. It is the loving presence of Jesus, the personhood of Jesus brings the disciples close to his Heart. What draws us close to Jesus? Let us turn from lesser masters to the great and good Master. Amen.