The Lord’s missionary mandate to “go and make disciples” is valid for us today (Mt 28:19). Before we go and make more followers of Jesus, we should first ask whether we can be counted among his disciples. Jesus provides a litmus test for discipleship in John’s gospel: “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples” (Jn 8:31). Before we “go and make” at his word, we need to first “remain in” his word. Let’s examine four essential practices to “remain in” Christ’s word.
First, we must know his word. The word ‘disciple’ means ‘learner’ or ‘student’. To be a disciple is to be a student of the Lord and to learn the truth revealed in the scriptures. We want to approach the word of God with a disposition like the prophet Samuel who prays: “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10). Once we begin to develop ‘ears to hear’, we will recognize the good news wherever we might encounter it—publicly in the Church’s liturgy in the Mass, the sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours or privately in our own reading of the Bible.
What prevents us from reading the word of God for 5–10 minutes a day? The typical response is a lack of time in our schedule. A person with average reading speed can work through all four gospels in just over four hours. How do we often spend our time? In around four hours, we can watch one NFL game plus overtime, or two NBA games, or almost two MLB games, or even two movies! To read the four gospels in one sitting takes slightly longer than the time adults spend watching videos and tv—daily! It’s not about our time but about our priority.
Second, we need to believe his word. On the road to Emmaus, the disciples know the stories of the Old Testament and the facts surrounding Jesus’s public ministry. Even so, Jesus reproaches them for being “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!” (Lk 24:25) The theological virtue of faith helps us to believe that the scriptures are God’s word to us and for us. The distinctive way to read the Bible as a missionary disciple is to do so with the ‘eyes of faith’. Using this faith-filled method, we will experience a renewal in our life and in our Church. Dei Verbum (Word of God), the Second Vatican Council’s document on Divine Revelation, indicates the reason for this transformation: “For in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks with them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life” (Dei Verbum 21, quoted in CCC 131).
Third, it is essential that we pray with his word. The Church’s ancient and proven way to prayerfully meditate on the scriptures is called lectio divina, or divine reading. Pope Benedict XVI highlights the different steps (and their common Latin names) of this practice in his exhortation on the Word of God in the life and mission of the Church (Word of the Lord). He notes that we begin by reading and re-reading a Bible passage to understand it (lectio). Many people use the psalm or the gospel from the day as the selected text. The next step is to reflect on the words and the meanings that resonate with you (meditatio). After hearing God’s word for you, respond in prayerful dialogue with the Lord (oratio). We know from experience that relationships are built, maintained, and strengthened through conversation. Our communion with God is no exception to this rule. The next two steps are to rest in the gift he gave you (contemplatio) and resolve to act in charity on the inspiration you received to live as a disciple (actio). (cf. Verbum Domini 87)
Praying the word of God is foundational and formative for all Christians. Once we develop this holy habit, the word of God will become the lens through which we view the world. The scriptures will begin to measure us and challenge the way we live. We can pray with the psalmist: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path” (Ps 119:105). When the path of discipleship appears unmarked or uncharted, the Lord’s words illuminate the way forward for those who follow him.
Fourth, it is crucial that we share his word with others. The good news which we have received needs to be brought to others. In his exhortation on the Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis indicates that “the sacred Scriptures are the very source of evangelization” (Evangelii Gaudium 174). We know that it is not enough to be just a disciple, someone who follows Jesus. We must also become a missionary, someone who gives witness to him in word and deed. Bringing the word of God to the world is vital to the life of a missionary disciple as we can attest that we are men and women transformed by the Word of God.
Jesus’s command to “go and make disciples” is accompanied by a promise: “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). One of the ways that he keeps that promise is through remaining with us in the gift of his scriptures. The most powerful way he fulfills it is in the gift of his Real Presence in the Eucharist. The gifts of the written word of God and the Word of God made flesh are both given to us in the Church’s liturgy which “offers to the faithful the bread of life from the table both of God’s word and of Christ’s body” (Dei Verbum 21). This Bread of Life is what gives us life as disciples to remain in his word.
For more information about the Augustine Institute Graduate School, FORMED, Word of Life K–8 Parish and School Curriculum, and Amen prayer app visit https://www.augustineinstitute.org/.
Challenge Question:
What changes can I make to my schedule to make time to read for 5–10 minutes a day?
Further Reading:
Dei Verbum (1965)
Verbum Domini (2010)
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 101–141
———————
The Augustine Institutes helps Catholics understand, live, and share their faith through its academic and parish programs. The Graduate School of Theology is the largest Catholic graduate school of theology in the United States and offers four M.A. degrees in the fields of Theology, Pastoral Theology, Catholic Education, and Biblical Studies via in person instruction and distance education. The Augustine Institute also serves parishes and individuals through FORMED.org, the premier Catholic streaming service, the Amen App, the free Catholic prayer and meditation app, and the Word of Life K-8 Parish and School Curriculum.
