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May 28, 2017On the night before his passion, Jesus gathered with his disciples in the upper room, and prayed to His father in a profound and very beautiful way.
As the evangelist recorded those precious moments between Jesus and the Father, we can enter into the essential truth of his heart and understand our participation in the divine plan of God. Jesus does not see his death as a catastrophic loss for his disciples but rather as a departure to the Father and a new way of being with those who are still in the world.
"Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you" with these beautiful words, Jesus who will draw every woman and man to himself, tells us that we come to the Son to receive the life of the Father and the Son is glorified by attracting us to him. Jesus glorified the Father by finishing the work he was sent to do, this is to reveal the Father's name to the world, and with this, to allow divine life to flow to the world to flow to each and every one of us.
As the divine enters the world through Jesus' life, it encounters and participates in the daily struggles of every person and becomes the center of humanity. The Lord left the disciples with the great responsibility of passing on to others the gospel's message while they continue building his kingdom, to proclaim the good news of a merciful and compassionate God who invites us to know Him, by loving each other, and living a joyful life. The missionary work of the Church in every corner of the earth have been made possible by the love and faith of disciples who have not hesitated to open their hearts and souls to the Lord's call, encountering others along their journey and helping them to know Jesus.
As I look back in my own faith's journey, I recognize that I am standing here today thanks to the love, words, and deeds of so many people that understood the true meaning of discipleship and helped me get closer to Jesus and leaving a profound influence in my soul that I carry with me every day.
I thank my mother who could not make the trip from Argentina but she is always with me. I thank her because from her lips I heard Jesus' name for the first time, because she taught me how to pray, to care for the poor and the most in need. I thank my wife Marcela, who is the strong foundation of the family, who fully supported my call to the diaconate, and taught me how to become a better husband, a better father, and a better man.
To my beloved children and grandchild who are gifts from God, because they bring light to my soul and a deep joy to my heart.
To the RCIA team who I believe was sent by the Holy Spirit with the mission of rekindle my faith and put it in high gear. I am deeply grateful to Fr. Jim because your guidance and prayers gave me the support and strength needed during the discernment and formation process. You are a true blessing to me, to my family, and the entire community. I thank the entire St. Joseph’s parish community because your wonderful participation in all the ministries helps keeping the faith alive and it is a clear manifestation of what discipleship is all about.
Pope Francis tells us that as disciples of Christ, we cannot become too comfortable, that we must always go out in search of people in need that live in the peripheries of our cities and towns and participate in their suffering and struggles providing hope and sharing Jesus’ love. God's presence among humanity did not take place in a perfect idyllic world, but rather in this real world, in the midst of our reality that is marked by light and darkness, so as disciples of Christ we are asked to become beacons of light, that brings Jesus' light to everyone's heart
Recent world events remind us that we live in a complex world marked with brokenness that is in desperate need of love, so as true Disciples of Christ, we are called to bring hope, to be there for one another, to extend our hands to the ones in need and bring Jesus' love to the world.
As God chose to live in the lives of the Apostles two thousand years ago, He is choosing to live in our lives now, as we are with our gifts and limitations, inviting us to share with others God given gifts and proclaiming the joy of living a life in Jesus. Every disciple is a mission of love meant to give love to others, when this happens, God is glorified, the work is accomplished, and life is complete. So as we prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, let us pause for a moment, and ask ourselves how we will exercise our discipleship by making Jesus known to the world, and with this glorify God by our lives.
