Matthew 28: 16-20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Go Make Disciples
Today we celebrate the Memorial of Sts. John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and their companions. In the Gospel chosen for their memorial, Jesus tells the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Brébeuf, Jogues, and companions took that command literally—crossing an ocean, devoting their lives to sharing the Gospel, and ultimately dying for that mission. It can make the idea of "mission" a little intimidating.
When we hear the word mission, we imagine going somewhere: a trip, a new assignment, some dramatic call from God that requires packing a bag and changing our lives.
But, most Mondays are considerably less exciting. Jesus may not be summoning us to the mountain today, but he still calls us and sends us forth to make his presence known.
For us, “go” probably doesn’t mean across the globe, but it might mean across the street, hallway, or room. “Make disciples of all nations" doesn’t mean the extraordinary sacrifices of Brébeuf and Jogues, but it does mean making Christ recognizable in our words, our choices, our priorities, and the way we treat people.
Our mission begins wherever we are, with the next person we encounter.
—Jackie Schulte is the Head of School and Dean of Faculty Formation at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You call each of us and send us into the world. Help us make you known in the way we speak, the choices we make, and the way we treat the people you place before us. May our lives reflect your Gospel wherever you send us today.
Amen.
—Jackie Schulte