Call to Be a Disciple of Christ
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”Ps. 27
To be a disciple is to be a student-one who listens to the teacher, learns from Him, and follows Him. This is what Jesus wants from us, and for this He sets very clear conditions:
- My sheep hear my voice and follow me.
- Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.
- You are my friends if you do what I command you.
For this reason, we can say that being a disciple is not the same as being merely religious. There are many religious people who do not follow Jesus but rather follow themselves. They live centered on themselves and want a God who fulfills their desires and grants favors, and that is all they seek in the image of a saint or of God whom they venerate and to whom they turn.
The disciple does not live centered on himself; he does not want a God at his service. He does not pray in order to bend God’s arm, but rather to bend himself so as to listen to God. He does not want a God who carries out his own will, because the disciple does not trust himself as much as he trusts his Master (who s God). Therefore, he prays in order to know now to fulfill God’s will.
Not all religious people are disciples of Christ, but it is also true that all disciples of Jesus are religious, for they cannot follow Jesus without going to the Church, where the flock of the Good Shepherd walks, where they receive His teaching and the food of life, which is His Body, as well as forgiveness and the other sacraments.
One cannot follow Jesus without the Church that Christ left us, founded upon the rock of Peter, for Christ made Himself one with His Church, so that they are inseparable. We need the Church in order to be disciples of Christ, even though not all who go to church and are religious are disciples of Christ, for only those who keep His word truly are. Only they build their lives upon the rock that is Christ. Many who say “Lord, Lord,” and hear His word but do not put it into practice are built upon sand and destined for ruin; therefore, they are neither disciples nor friends of Christ (cf. Mt 7:21ff).
Jesus calls us today; every day He renews His call to you, personally, by name, with immense love, just as He called each one of His disciples. He desires that we trust in Him and listen to Him, for this will be the true blessing of our life, incomparably greater than anything we could possess in this world. Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Readings of the Week
Sunday: Is 8:23-9:3/Ps 27:1, 4, 13-14/1 Cor 1:10-13, 17/Mt 4:12-23 or 4:12-17
Monday: 2 Tm 1:1-8 or Ti 1:1-5/Ps 96:1-2a, 2b-3, 7-8a, 10, 21-22, 25-26/Mk 3:22-30
Tuesday: 2 Sm 6:12b-15, 17-19/Ps 24:7, 8, 9, 10/ Mk 3:31-35
Wednesday: 2 Sm 7:4-17/Ps 89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30/Mk 4:1-20
Thursday: 2 Sm 7:18-19, 24-29/Ps 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14/Mk 4:21-25
Friday: 2 Sm 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17/Ps 51:3-4, 5-6a, 6bcd-7, 10-11/Mk 4:26-34
Saturday: 2 Sm 12:1-7a, 10-17/Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 16-17/Mk 4:35-41
Next Sunday: Zep 2:3; 3:12-13/Ps 146:6c-7, 8-9a, 9b-10/1 Cor 1:26-31/Mt 5:1-12a
Celebrations of the Week
Sunday: 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops
Wednesday: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Saturday: Saint John Bosco, Priest
Next Sunday: 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
