The Lost Art of Disciple Making

Discipleship

     Today’s world can seem dark at times when we watch the news or see a lost morality in our culture.  St. John Paul II spoke of a culture of death and stirring us to build a culture of life.  This is more than just protecting the unborn but teaching others to live by a moral compass.  St. John Paul II also spoke of the new evangelization. “All who believe in Christ should feel, as an integral part of their faith, an apostolic concern to pass on to others its light and joy. This concern must become, as it were, a hunger and thirst to make the Lord known, given the vastness of the non-Christian world (John Paul II RM 40).”

      In Jesus three years of public ministry he had 12 very close friends who were the apostles.  They later became the first priests, and Peter, our first Pope.  Jesus came to know each man in a very intimate friendship.  He spent time with them, prayed with them, ate with them and cried with them.  He was their mentor, their comforter and their teacher.  In three years, He reached out to 12 men, and through His miracles and teachings He had many followers, but He concentrated on those 12.  Of those 12 there were three that He brought into an even closer relationship: Peter, James and John.  Some refer to it as his inner circle:

“And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James and John… (Mark  5:37)”,  “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart (Mathew 17: 1)”,   “And he took with him Peter and James, and John, and began to be greatly distressed (Mark 14:33).”

What does this have to do with the new evangelization?  What St. JP II called the new evangelization in many ways is really the old evangelization.  St. John Paul II was telling us that as a church - we need to evangelize, get back to the basics.  Remember the fundamentals of baseball?  ‘Throw the ball, hit the ball.’  Fundamentals of evangelization is make disciples.  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28).” Jesus chose 12 men and those 12 men mentored others to become disciples:
 

Jesus mentored John→ John mentored Polycarp→ Polycarp mentored Irenaeus→ and so on

     If it were not for this very fundamental teaching, the church would not represent 16% of the world’s population. Christianity is the largest religion in the world. 

     But that lead is slipping. More and more Catholics are non-practicing, do not know if God really exists, or are unaffiliated with any type of religion.  Pope Benedict XVI speaks of a remnant church in our future: “The Church will become small and will have to start afresh more or less from the beginning.  She will no longer be able to inhabit many of the edifices she built in prosperity. As the number of her adherents diminishes… (Ratzinger, Faith and Future).”

     Why is this happening now?  The world has changed.  Our culture is beyond relativism.  Many no longer use logic or reason to choose what they believe.  Instead, they believe based on emotivism, on what they feel right now.  What they believe today may be something completely different tomorrow simply because they will feel differently tomorrow.  How do we evangelize an emotivistic culture?

     We do as Jesus taught us.  We do as JP II taught us.  We build close relationships with a few people – one or two.  We care for them, are there for them, and share our Faith with them. The most important part is to show them how to develop a close relationship with God through prayer. We build disciples.  But it cannot stop there.  It is not enough to build disciples, we need to build disciple makers. 

     Can we give what we don’t have?  You do not need to be a theologian to make a disciple.  There are plenty of staff at Church who can help you answer questions.  What you do need is a prayer life.  You need to know Jesus as Peter, Mary Magdalene, John and Martha did.  Be in dialogue with Jesus.  If you don’t know how to do this, ask.  (Or see “How to Pray” short at the end of this article.)  If you are in relationship with Jesus, you can share what Him that is in you.  Trust that the Holy Spirit will guide you. 
     
     In conclusion, I want to help St. Louis de Montfort become an evangelistic parish.  People over programs is foundational.  How do we do that?  I believe there are already many disciples in this parish who have an intimate prayer life and a zeal for sharing their Faith.  I want to know you.  I want to know who you are, and I want to help you evangelize.