COVID-19 Reflection #12: Discipleship Revisited

This is the 12th of my COVID-19 Reflections written primarily for my Bible Study regulars who have been unable to get together since our nasty virus made its appearance. Once again, I focus on the call to discipleship. 

And if you're really a glutton for punishment and want to watch videos of me preaching these reflections, you can find these videos here on YouTube: Bible Study Reflections

Blessings and good health to all.
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About 25 years ago, my former spiritual director concluded one of our sessions by saying, “Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a full-time job.”

We had just spent most of an hour talking about how we tend to compartmentalize our lives and fail to realize that discipleship must drive every aspect of life, transcending and permeating our very being. Yes, indeed, a “full-time job.” So, let’s take a look at the Gospels and see what this job entails.

When we read the Gospels, two major themes become obvious. 

The first is the story of the Incarnation, of Emmanuel, God with us. It’s the living revelation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Redeemer of humanity who became one of us. Jesus revealed the Father to us, taught us, healed us, sacrificed His life for us, rose from the dead with the promise, the hope, of eternal life, and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey. It’s quite a story, isn’t it?

But throughout the Gospels another theme becomes evident: the path to discipleship. As we follow Jesus Christ in the Gospels, we also witness men and women on their spiritual journey in response to Jesus’ call.

Some respond at once and, filled with the Holy Spirit, follow Jesus on the Way [Mk 10:46-52]. Others respond but hesitate, struggling to understand and accept the fullness of the call [Jn 3:1-21]. Some, touched by doubt and weighed down by the burdens of their earthly lives, listen to the Word and come to accept the gift of faith [Lk 17:5-6]. Despite all their doubts and struggles, many persevere, and God blesses them with the gift of the Holy Spirit who reveals all [Jn 16:13].

Sadly, though, so many turned away from Jesus unable to accept Him as “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” [Jn 14:6]. Some considered Jesus a threat [Mt 2:3-4]; some were shocked by His teachings [Jn 6:60-66]; and others refused to turn away from the path they followed, from their own ways [Lk 18:18-23].

Yes, it’s all there in the Gospels – the good, the bad, and the ugly – but it’s all there to teach us and help us on our own journeys of discipleship. 

Today, as you and I make a brief visit to the Gospel, let’s try, following the lead of St. Ignatius of Loyola, to place ourselves in the person of the disciple who encounters Jesus. In other words, instead of seeing the Gospel as an encounter between Jesus and another, make it a meditative, personal encounter between you and Jesus. Share the encounter, take part in it, experience Jesus in the Gospel and realize He’s waiting there for you as well.

In the Gospels, of course, we find many wonderful encounters between Jesus and others. Our reflection, though, will focus on only one, an encounter described beautifully in the Gospel according to John [Jn 4:4-42].

I know you’re all familiar with the passage, but God’s Word never gets old. It always teaches us anew. Take a few minutes now and turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer, asking Him to let the scene come alive in your heart. Then reread the passage…Do it now!

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We find ourselves in a small village of Samaria. Because of centuries-long hostility between Jews and Samaritans, most Jews avoided Samaria and its people whenever possible. But not Jesus, who came for all, calling everyone to repentance and faith [Mk 1:15].

Interestingly, Samaritans make several appearances in the Gospels. We all know the Parable of the Good Samaritan [Lk 10:25-37], in which the despised foreigner and heretic proves to be far more charitable than either Jewish priest or Levite. Only the Samaritan fully understands the commandment -- “Love your neighbor as yourself” [Lv 19:18; Mt 19:19] – and actually lives it.

"Then he lifted him up..." [Lk 10:34]

And who can forget the ten lepers who begged Jesus for healing? Jesus healed all ten, but Luke tells us the rest of the story:

"And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, 'Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" [Lk 17:15-18]

"One of them, realizing he had been healed, returned"

Jesus, then, didn’t hesitate to highlight the faith and works of Samaritans, if only to remind the Jews that they had no monopoly on God’s love or His truth, and that He had come for the salvation of all.

With this in mind, we watch as Jesus and the apostles enter this Samaritan village and make their way toward the well.

With the sun directly overhead, the air is thick with heat, and the horizon shimmers in the distance. The village is quiet for it’s the kind of day when few dare to venture out under the mid-day sun. The village women usually go to the well in the early morning, or when dusk brings a cooling breeze. Chattering and laughing, sharing the latest gossip, their communal walks are as much social events as necessity – yes, a welcome break in a day filled with the hard work of maintaining a home.

But today, as Jesus approaches the well, He spots a solitary woman making her way toward us along the path. He expects to see her, for He knows she makes her way to the well every day at noontime, and always alone. It’s the one time she knows no one else will be there. For her, there’s never any banter or gossip -- no laughter, no singing to make the path smoother, no friendly hand thrown out to steady the jar when she stumbles. 

She tells herself she doesn’t care. She tells herself it means nothing to her. Bunch of chattering fools. Who needs them? 

She pretends that this solitary walk in the midday heat is her choice.

I prefer being alone. Besides, I never have to wait -- No one’s in my way, no petty quarrels, no children underfoot. No people…No problems…No snide remarks…

Of course, it hadn't always been this way. Once, in another village, in another lifetime, she’d been a part of it all -- the laughing, the singing, the trivial chatter that said so little, but meant so much. 

Yes, once she’d taken her place among the women…as wife, neighbor, friend. But that was years ago, and many men ago. 

In a world that was rarely kind to widows and orphans and especially to the divorced, she’d learned how to make her own way. 

In a world where the weak and powerless were often tossed aside and forced to move in the shadows, she’d learned how to be strong. 

In a world that measured a woman's worth by her relationships to father, husband, brother, and son, she’d learned how to be a survivor without them. 

But that survival came at a price – and for her, one small part of that meant going to the well alone. 

“Amen,” she says aloud. So be it.

There had been five men in her life, and the current one, though not her husband, isn’t as bad as some, and better than most. 

Things could be worse, she thinks, and then laughs aloud. The well could be dry.

As she walks along the path, the heat rises in waves, scorching her feet right through her worn sandals. Sweat trickles down her back, and she tastes the dust deep in her throat. The large jug, though empty, feels especially heavy today. The trip back to her home will be a long one. 

And then, looking up, she sees Him -- a stranger -- sitting at the well.

"Give Me a Drink."

Later, much later - when everyone asked her about that day: about what He said and what He did, she would answer:

He told me about water, and about thirst…and we talked about Jerusalem and mountains and worship and eternal life. He told me about spirit and truth, about so very much besides. And He told me about myself. He told me everything, and I finally understood the difference between surviving and living.

Yes, indeed, Jesus knew all about her her past, and offered her a future in which the past didn't count. 

He knew all about her present, and yet, instead of condemning her for her sins, He loved her for her weaknesses and turned them into strengths. How did He do that?

He knew why she went to the well at noon, and yet he still trusted her to proclaim the Good News to her neighbors. 

Come and see a man who told me all that I ever did…” [Jn 4:29, 39]

Imagine the courage it took for her, of all people, to run back into the very heart of the village, to proclaim that message to her disapproving neighbors! What boldness! What faith!

They, too, knew everything she had done…or thought they did.

Come and see! She said, to anyone who would listen. Come and see! He’s waiting for you. Can this be the Christ? And, as John tells us, they came:

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony” [Jn 4:39].

Was it her passion, her boldness? Or was it something else? What made them believe her? Perhaps it was the living water, the Word of the Word of God, that she shared with such unbound enthusiasm.

Brothers and sisters, Jesus also knows everything about you and me. He knows every sin and every act of kindness, every strength and every weakness.

Notice, too, how wrong we often are about ourselves, how limited our self-knowledge. What the Samaritan woman saw as a strength – her avoidance of others, her self-imposed isolation, her toughness – Jesus recognized for what it was, weakness.

It’s to that weakness that He calls her, sending her out among them, turning the sinner into a missionary.

This is what Jesus always does when He has serious work to accomplish in the world: He calls us to the task through our weaknesses. And by doing so reveals God’s greatness all the more.

Notice, too, that this Samaritan woman was given a choice. She could have filled her jug and returned home, but instead she left the jug behind and ran off to spread the word about the Word. It’s the same choice given to the Apostles as they mended their nets and heard Jesus say, “Come, follow me.” The call to discipleship always involves a choice, and always involves leaving something behind.

What about you and me? Will we fill our water jugs, turn our backs on Jesus, and go home? Will we mend our nets and let Jesus walk on by? Can we set aside the things of our lives, the jugs and nets, our willful natures, our possessions, our sinfulness, all that's keeping us from answering His call? Every life has its water jogs and its nets. Can we leave them behind and abandon ourselves to live according to God's will?

The Good News is in the promise of Jesus, given to the Apostles at the Last Supper:

"Whoever loves me will keep my Word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him" [Jn 14:23].

With Christ deep within you, and seeing Christ all around you in others, your life can become a gift to the world, a visible sign of His love and His final coming.

So, you see, Christ wants to dwell within you, to make you a God-bearer like Mary, so you can carry Him to others. 

Our nameless Samaritan woman listened to Jesus and responded. She not only became a disciple, but she also became something more: before Peter, before Paul, she became a missionary for Jesus Christ, taking the Word to others.

And perhaps most revealing for you and me, she became that missionary but never left her hometown. She never left her village.

Morning of Reflection (Videos)

[Late Note: After watching the videos embedded below, a few folks have contacted me and asked what my comment about "The Godfather" was all about. During one of the talks (I think it was the 2nd talk), a cell phone in the congregation rang with the theme of "The Godfather" movie playing loudly. It wasn't picked up by the microphone I was wearing, so you can't hear it on the video. Anyway, my odd comment was in reference to the phone ringing.]

Our parish's Council of Catholic Women asked me to lead a pre-Lenten Morning of Reflection for the parish on Saturday, February 10. Designed as a kind of introduction to the Lenten season, its theme was "God's Call to the Way of the Disciple."

The CCW was joined by our parish prayer groups in preparing for this day. It was a monumental task and I extend my thanks to all who helped put it all together.

The morning began with morning Mass at 8 a.m., followed by a Scriptural Rosary in the church. We then enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the parish hall.

After breakfast I exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar and delivered three talks on discipleship with each talk centered on a particular Gospel passage.

Each talk was followed by a hymn related to the talk's subject. These were sung by our three amazing and very talented music ministers -- The Grace Notes -- Dawn DiNome Wetzel, Becki Pishko, and Jillian O'Neil.  

After the third talk, I conducted Benediction and reposed the Blessed Sacrament. The prayer teams of our Emmanuel Prayer Group were  then available to pray over and with parishioners who brought healing and other needs. It was a wonderful morning and perhaps 500-600 people attended. I only hope that my talks were well-received. 

I discovered later that our A/V folks had recorded the three talks but not the brief homily I preached at morning Mass. I have included the text of the homily below since I intended it as a kind of introduction to the Morning of Reflection. Videos of the three talks follow the homily text. If you really want to watch the videos, understand that each is about 30 minutes long, so you'll have to set aside some serious time. Maybe they'd be good spiritual food for your Lenten meditation...or maybe not. I'll let you decide.

Here's the text of the homily I preached at morning Mass  -- Saturday, 5th Week in Ordinary Time:

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Readings: 1 Kgs 12:26-32;13:33-34 • Ps 106 • Mk 8:1-10

Mark's Gospel has often been described as a Passion narrative with a long introduction. And that introduction? Well, it moves right along, doesn't it?

Mark's sort of the Sergeant Joe Friday of the Gospels: "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts." (If you're under 60, you might have to ask a more mature friend about Joe Friday.) Anyway, Mark doesn't waste time on what he likely considered extraneous details. He gets right to the point.

He even begins that way, No genealogies for Mark. No infancy narratives. None of John's deep theological insights. No, Mark tells us what it's all about with his opening words:

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mk 1:1].

You can almost hear him saying, "That's it, folks, the nitty-gritty - but let me tell you more just so your faith will stay strong."

And as Mark's Gospel progresses we encounter two themes, two threads that weave their way through the Gospel and converge in the Passion narrative of chapters 14 and 15.

One is the story of Jesus, the Son of God, and the suffering Son of Man, a life and ministry that moves inexorably to His Passion, Death, and Resurrection as the very fulfillment of all Scripture [Mk 14:49].

The other thread is the story of the disciples. At first glance it seems to be a remarkable story of the remarkably clueless. Moved by the Spirit, the twelve attach themselves to Jesus with little understanding of His teachings or what His call to discipleship really entails. Some, like Peter, James, and John, have moments of bravado, moments that end up as little more than cowardly bluster. Others remain strangely silent as they struggle to come to terms with their response to this calling.

Interestingly, it seems that the closer a disciple is to Jesus, the less he understands. That, of course, all changes at Pentecost. But don't see their spiritual struggles as a sign of human failure; rather, it's a story of God's success. It's a story of spiritual growth, of gradual formation, a time when the Spirit plants seed after seed in the hearts of these friends and followers of Jesus. Like every seed planted by the Spirit, these sprout and bloom according to His schedule, not ours.

Later this morning we'll look at three events in the Gospels, and see how the Spirit moved those involved as they responded to calls to discipleship. The Spirit can move quickly indeed, or He can lead us to the truth over a lifetime. And it's our response that makes all the difference. We see signs of this in today's Gospel passage.

4,000 people, a huge crowd, have been with Jesus for three days, and have eaten nothing. But we hear no complaints from the crowd, for in their hunger for Truth they have been fed with the Word. They are satisfied.

For them it has been three days of contemplative prayer, for what is contemplative prayer but placing oneself in Jesus' presence and listening, listening to the Word so He can alter one's very being.

It's also a time of fasting. But in his compassion, Jesus knows once He leaves them, their fast will end, and they will return to the world hungry. They will need to be restored so they can carry the Word to their homes, into their everyday lives where they can live from faith.

So Jesus turns to His disciples and simply states a truth:

"They have nothing to eat" [Mk 10:2].

"How can we get bread in the desert?" [Mk 10:4] they ask. He has yet to reveal that He is the Bread of Life, that wherever Jesus is, there is Bread. Yes, Jesus is the Eucharist, a gift He will institute at the Last Supper - the bread, His Body - the wine, His Blood - the gift of His Presence until the end of the age. But as yet they don't know this. Have they so soon forgotten His earlier feeding of the 5,000? Miracle upon miracle, healing upon healing, and yet they ask: "How can we get bread in the desert?"

Does Jesus answer their question? No. Instead, He asks the disciples another. "How many loaves have you?" [Mk 10:5]This, brothers and sisters, is a moment of grace and the loaves are its image. Grace is present because Jesus is present. It flows outward from Him to all who are open to receive it. But grace can never be a private possession. It must be passed on, flow from one to another.

Yes, how many loaves do you disciples have? How much faith do you have? Do you have enough? Are you instruments of grace?

"Seven," is their one-word reply. Does it point to the Spirit's seven gifts they will receive at Pentecost when the full meaning of their discipleship is revealed? Perhaps so.

So Jesus takes the loaves, but He takes nothing without thanking the Father. He gives thanks for the disciples' bread, bread meant for them and for Him, but now destined for thousands.

He breaks the bread, as He will break Himself in the Eucharist, and hands the bread to His disciples. The disciples distribute the bread; doing the miraculous, as the Bread received from the Church carries His miraculous Presence into the world.

Here we see the Church in the process of becoming, for the Bread it is given, the Eucharist - it, too, is blessed, broken, and multiplied. Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit, offers Himself, but His disciples carry Him into the world.

Jesus also blesses a few small fish so the people can eat an ordinary meal, the same kind of meal the disciples would eat with the Lord. This meal, this everyday experience, becomes for the people an extraordinary, miraculous experience.

Were those few small fish a sign, a reminder that Simon Peter and the others must soon abandon their boats, their nets, their lives and become fishers of men? Did the disciples learn this day that when they give all that they have - even if it's only seven loaves and a few fish - God will multiply it a thousand fold?

And what about you and me?

Can we abandon everything in our lives that is keeping us from true discipleship?

Can we, too, hand the loaves and fish of our lives to the Lord and let Him bless, break and multiply them - so we can carry Him into the world?

Will you let God work His miracles in the everyday ordinariness of your life, so you can be an instrument of His grace?

We are all called, dear friends.

Lord, teach us to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to labor and seek no reward save that of knowing we do your holy will.

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We included meditation questions for each talk, including the morning Mass homily, in our reflection booklet. I gave the participants a few moments to meditate on the questions after each talk. The questions that follow were intended for meditation after the morning homily:

Meditation Questions -- the Call to Discipleship.

• What are some of the obstacles you have encountered, or are now encountering, as you strive to respond to Jesus' call to discipleship?
• How can knowing you are "loved into existence" affect your life and how you consider and treat yourself and others?
• Jesus invites us into an intimate relationship with the Blessed Trinity. What does this mean to you? How is this manifested in your life?

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Videos of the three talks follow:

1. The Call to Abandonment.

"...the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" [John 4:14].

In her desire for new life, for salvation, the Samaritan woman at the well is filled with hope, a hope she feels called to share. Driven by this hope she reaches out and shares the Good News. Like Mary, who carries the unborn Jesus, the Word, to Judea, the Samaritan woman becomes an evangelist, carrying the Word to others.

Meditation Questions -- Disciple and Evangelist: a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

• Describe a situation when you have experienced being refreshed by the Word of God.
• God calls everyone to discipleship. Through those who respond He extends that call to others. How can you better respond to this call to evangelize?
• What aspect of your life must you abandon and leave behind as you follow the path to being a disciple of Jesus Christ?
• What does it mean to be a "God-bearer" in today's world?

2. The Call to Follow.

"Go your way; your faith has saved you...he...followed Jesus on the way" [Mk 10:52].

Faith saves, but true faith is a living faith, one that always brings forth new life, one that demands a response. Bartimaeus turns from his own way, leaving his old life behind, and follows Jesus on "The Way."

Meditation Questions -- Respond in faith: Your faith has saved you.

• Have you ever had a surprising encounter with Jesus, an encounter in which you recognized His presence in your life? Describe it. What was your response? Share this with another.
• What fears might keep you and others you know from following the path to discipleship?
• People are often like the disciples who want to keep others from Jesus. Have you ever encountered this? Have you ever done this? What is the root of this lack of trust on their part and ours?

3. The Call to Serve Without Compromise.

"...her many sins have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love" [Lk 7:47].

We turn to Luke's Gospel and Jesus' encounter with the sinful woman who washed His feet at the house of Simon the Pharisee. Yes, true repentance brings forgiveness, God's gift to those who turn to Him in recognition of their sins. In an act of thanksgiving, overwhelmed by this gift, ultimately the gift of salvation, she is filled with a joy that can only be expressed in her love for the Giver. She responds in love, ignoring the world and its threats, and showers her love on the divine Word.

Meditation Questions -- Response in love: she kissed and anointed His feet.

• Can love ever be wasteful? Can we love too much?
• What is Jesus' attitude toward the sinner? Can you offer some other Gospel examples? How can we follow Him?
• What does the sinful woman in thus passage teach us as we respond to the call to discipleship?