Discipleship: A Life Journey with Jesus 4th Week of Easter - April 22-28, 2013 Introduction Our main passage for this week is John 13:31-35: "Love one another as I have loved you" We are now in the 4th week of Easter and we continue with our journey on our resurrected life. This week, Jesus is inviting us to recognize our discipleship as a journey with Him. When we talk about a journey, we think about rough terrains, winding roads, difficult paths and uncertainties ahead. This is the same with our discipleship. After receiving this new life, this new chance from God to follow Him, we encounter that we encounter challenges and difficulties to keep the fire going in our faith. Before we look into the difficulties of the path, let us first of all recognize that our discipleship is in fact a gift coming from Jesus, not from us. In John 15:16, Jesus reaffirms His choice with our lives: "You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures." Jesus assures us that as He chose us, He will accompany us, as He "who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished." (c.f. Phil 1:6). When we follow Jesus, it doesn't mean that we are already perfect. What it means is that through our lives, God shows that He never gets tired of forming us. Like the clay in the potter's hand He continues to mold us, making us into what He desires. Even though a piece of our life "turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else." (c.f. Jeremiah 18:1-6). God never gives up on us and it isn't too late to start once again. This week, Jesus is teaching us that as His disciples, it is to learn how to love others the same way as He loves us. "And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another" (c.f. Jn 13:34). This is the highlight of our discipleship: when we learn how to love like Him: loving with patience, determination, never giving up on the person. Let us ask Mother Mary to accompany us. Like in the wedding of Cana (c.f. John 2:1-11), Mary asks us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Let us allow Jesus to turn our 'water' (our fears, hesitations) into a sweet-tasting wine of God's love. John 13:31-35 31 After Judas had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man's glory is revealed; now God's glory is revealed through him. 32 And if God's glory is revealed through him, then God will reveal the glory of the Son of Man in himself, and he will do so at once. 33 My children, I shall not be with you very much longer. You will look for me; but I tell you now what I told the Jewish authorities, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’ 34 And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 If you have love for one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.” You may also follow the Liturgy for this week (readings for the mass) Read it at http://www.universalis.com/mass.htm Comment below for your prayers and reflections.
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