Trying to be a disciple of Christ is a daunting task because of what we’re called to do. We are expected to make disciples of all people, but we’re also expected to suffer while we’re doing it. But we know the power of the Spirit to do amazing things and we find comfort in the knowledge that God will eventually make everything new again. In the meantime, we’re also commanded to love our fellow believers and demonstrate to the world what Jesus’ love is like!

We are called to share the Good News - to share the Gospel message to the ends of the earth - but that’s hard to do if we choose to remain silent. We need to speak up, even if it might cause us discomfort or lead to personal suffering. For when we suffer in the name of Jesus, we know we’ll be rewarded in heaven. We are his flock and he will protect us. So listen carefully, discern his voice from among all the others, and then choose to follow the Good Shepherd!

Being a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t suffer. The Paschal Mystery promises we’ll suffer, experience loss, and then find new life. But we don’t talk about how the Apostles - some of our spiritual role models - rejoiced when they suffered for Christ. It’s a challenge but it starts by believing that ALL of creation knows Jesus is God. We’re spiritually fed and strengthened through the Eucharist… and like the disciples, we can find Jesus in the breaking of the bread!

The Easter season is a time for us to focus on the new life promised by the Resurrection, so we must understand that the Holy Spirit is with us. Just as the Spirit helped the early Church, the Spirit is still helping us today. We know this new life requires us to spread the Gospel message because Jesus has called us to make disciples of all people. Though this might seem like an impossible task, we have faith. Like Thomas, we believe that Jesus is God - and all things are possible with God!

As Christians, we aren’t a people of the crucifixion - we’re a people of the resurrection - and the cross reminds us of Jesus’ victory over death. And if we’ve entered into a new life in Christ, then Jesus’ victory is our victory too. As we celebrate Easter, let’s remember that Jesus rose from the dead and he’s not gone. The tomb is empty but Jesus is alive and his Spirit is active in the world today!

Being a disciple of Christ, at its core, means that we must be willing to follow Jesus’ commands. We need to love the Lord, love one another, and share the Gospel message of love and forgiveness. Doing what Jesus commands may cause us to suffer, and we can’t confront that suffering with power or the desire to rule. We are called to serve; and our service can’t be done from afar. We aren’t called to simply watch as injustices occur in the world. We are called to action!

Everyone needs the Creator, whether they believe in God or not - but for Christians it’s much more than that. We need God in our lives to bring meaning, love, and forgiveness; and to help us prepare for eternal life in heaven. Saying that Jesus must be the center of our lives is easy. Figuring out how to actually do it is hard. But it must be done because it’s how we’ll be able to prepare ourselves to accept the forgiveness that Christ is waiting to offer!

We know that our Father provides for us in many different ways. Our lives change, our needs change, and the blessings we receive will change as well - but only if we remain under God’s care. When we sin, we separate ourselves from our Father and reject what he wants to provide for us. But the Lord is watching for us - waiting for us to return. Through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we can repair our broken relationships, and the Father is ready to welcome us home with open arms!

Try as we might, we’ll never be able to understand God completely - the creation will never fully understand the Creator - but we don’t need to. We need to understand that the Son has been saving us throughout history, is working to save us today, and will continue offering salvation forever. Our God wants us to be saved; wants us to repent and accept forgiveness, so the great “I am” can have a relationship with each and every one of us; a relationship unencumbered by sin!

Abram placed his faith in God though he had experienced little and been promised much. Today, we’ve seen many of God’s promises fulfilled, so it should be easy for us to put our trust in the Lord - but it rarely works that way. We live our lives in the best way we can by looking to Jesus as our role model. We must listen to him and share the Gospel message; because if we hold up our end of the covenant, God has promised us everlasting life - and God always keeps his promises!