Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men (Mk 1:17).” When Jesus called the first disciples, they immediately answered his call. When we hear God’s call, we should do the same.
Once we say yes to Jesus we embarked on a demanding, difficult, and an internally solitary but fulfilling spiritual journey. Solitary because each one is called in a different way, and each one accepts the call according to desires of his/her heart. God does not tell us how much of His grace to accept. He showers us abundantly with His Grace, and each one bathes in His grace as long as he/she wants to.
So here we are, called by God, armed with His grace, but not sure how to proceed because we have not yet been taught how to serve Him. We have the first disciples as examples. We need to be taught just as they were taught. We should read Sacred Scripture, pray as often as we can, and ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit. There are Bible study groups and online courses from reputable religious institutions that will help us to come to a fuller and deeper understanding of our faith.
Jesus spent many hours teaching the disciples. Along the way He gave them gifts and taught them how to use the gifts. Then he sent them out two by two to preach repentance; “He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two (Mk 6:7).” We have all been given gifts and the Holy Spirit will show us how God wants us to use them.
The twelve were not sent out alone. Initially each one had a companion. So maybe, we should follow that example and grow in faith with a spiritual companion. Pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us to someone who will grow with us spiritually. Jesus has assured us that he will be there with you; “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Mt 18:20).”
The journey may be solitary, but we don’t have to travel it alone. Let us draw strength from each other, and encourage each other so that when one is weak, the other is there to strengthen. When one stumbles the other does not judge but is there to help him/her seek forgiveness and rise to new spiritual heights. When one receives the crown of salvation, the others will be there to receive God’s laborer into Heaven.
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