Dear Friends,
After all our preparation to engage a wider group in our Fireside Chat for The Chosen this fall, we failed to predict that our media producer would fall ill and be unable to be with us for a sustained period of time. So, we have put season two of The Chosen on hold until Peter is doing better. You can, of course, watch The Chosen on your own and then join us for the discussion later. It’s worth seeing more than once.
One of things that the series does so well, and I was hoping would impact many of your lives, is to make real the relationships Jesus had with his chosen disciples. Jesus was personally connected to each of the twelve disciples. He was personally connected to Mary of Magdala. He helped form them into disciples by allowing them to see him make tough decisions, to see how he responded to hurting people or to enemies as well. He asked them to pray with him when he was grieved to the point of death. Christlikeness is the goal of discipleship and looking at Jesus’ life helps us better understand what it means to be a mature follower of Jesus.
I am not sure if it struck any of you when the Archdiocese put out its vision statement several years ago (which we have been using in our annual reports), they used the term “equip” to talk about how we engage the members of the Church in Nebraska. That phrase, “equipping disciples”, most likely comes from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” As members of St. Frances Cabrini, I am to equip you for ministry. In the past, pastors may have thought their job was simply to lead you in prayer and inform you about the ways of Jesus. No more. You are to be equipped to do ministry, to come to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
I think the analogy of an athlete is a good one to help us understand what equipping means. Imagine if a college football player only showed up for practice once a week for an hour or only a couple of times a month. When it comes time for the game, will they be ready to play? Will they even know the most basic plays in the game? Unlikely. The same is true of a disciple. If the engagement level is only an hour a week, they will probably not be ready to act as a mature disciple of Jesus when the need arises. A mature disciple of Jesus knows that every disciple is called upon to make disciples of Jesus. They know that their own life needs to reflect the teaching of Jesus both at home and at work and not just when they are in church. They know that others will be following their example.
Last Sunday, I planted a seed of an idea, that one of the ways to equip disciples is through forming relationships in smaller groups. Relationships are not built in the spare moments of our busy lives. True community must be deliberately cultivated. It takes work and it takes time. And, we can only devote lots of time to a small group of people. That’s the reality. As the world gets bigger and more impersonal and as people continue to struggle with postmodern feelings of alienation, isolation and intense loneliness, disciples have a wonderful opportunity to minister by drawing smaller circles. We can each devote our energy and time to a small group of people: caring for their needs, encouraging them to persevere, serving them in love. Becoming smaller may lead to a bigger life—bigger as we experience the blessings of being a disciple. Many of you already found that in the reality of Cabrini being a smaller parish which has led to great blessings in your life. Relationships have brought you closer to Jesus. We hope to deliberately cultivate these relationships and blessings in the years ahead.
Peace,
Fr. Damian