manupthebook

We have all been given the same mission. In Mt 28:19, Jesus tells us to go make disciples of all nations. That is what we are expected to do! But we don’t always realize that Jesus spent three years preparing his disciples to do just that. Most of us look at our faith journey as the process of getting ourselves to heaven. But if we are to be disciples, we have to help others get to heaven as well. This is what the mission is all about.

I break the faith journey into two major segments, preparation and performance. These segments overlap greatly but for simplicity sake we can talk about them as independent elements. In the preparation phase, we learn to love others, we learn to pray, we learn the faith and we are strengthened by the sacraments. This phase is akin to our infancy up to young adulthood. In this phase we are preparing to venture out into the world, and become self sufficient.

In the performance phase of our faith journey, we learn to walk with and accompany others. We realize that our mission to make disciples is the purpose beyond ourselves. This is similar to adulthood in which we most often aspire to build families. In this phase of our faith journey loves means being willing the best for others and sharing our faith with others. Prayer shifts to listening to and following Gods will. Learning the faith is so that we have more to share with others. The sacraments give us the graces and the strength to do the work God has in store for us.

The key for us is to discern, am I still in the preparation phase or am I willing to go on the mission for which I have been prepared.