Hello folks! This is my reflection on what it means to be an active disciple. I presented this reflection at a service day hosted by both my university and parish, called Active Discipleship Day. So take a look and I hope you receive something that will help you along your journey of life. And let me know what you think in the comments!
My Reflection on the Importance of Active Discipleship (Presented at Active Discipleship Day July 2022)
As Christians, you’ve been hearing the word discipleship thrown around for a while now and if you’re even more like me, then you’re wondering what exactly is a discipleship day and where the word even came from. The word comes from the Latin for student, disciplus, and according to the Cambridge Dictionary, it is a person who believes in the ideas and principles of someone famous and tries to live the way that person does or did.
So that means anyone can be a disciple of anything. This is why there are so many religions and beliefs in this world. My mother is from India where there are about 7 major religions alone (9 if you get really specific).
So it made me wonder, if there are so many disciples of different beliefs walking around the world today, how will people know who we are? How will they know that we are Catholic Christians? And I think, that If we are truly Catholic christian’s, then knowing the Bible is not enough - rather, we must do our best to live as Christ did. And how do we live like Christ? Through corporal works of mercy, like those we are about to do today. Corporal works of mercy are how we love our neighbors as ourselves and practice being merciful like Christ. Im sure you all know, that in John 13:35, Christ himself says, “By this everyone will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” And in the Diary of St. Faustina, Christ tells her that there must be acts of mercy, and His Divine Mercy image is to be a reminder of the demands of His mercy, that even the strongest of faith is of no avail without works. (Diary, 742).
But we’re all human, and its not always easy. Sometimes, even the most faithful make mistakes and forget about this! But that’s why Active Discipleship Days are important I think, as they are great exercises helping us to actively practice Christ’s teachings and spread Christ’s love around us. And when we continue doing that through our daily life we become Active Disciples not for a day, but for life.
It is important in daily life to build friendships and connections with those around you. But also, build a deeper connection with Christ. The way I do that, is by imaging that he is working (going through the day) right alongside me. It makes Christ a part of the task, and how I, as St. Ignatius puts it, find God in all things. I know whenever I do this, I find that the most menial tasks become a more positive experience because I imagine Christ doing things with love and happiness, which makes me want to reflect that too.