In the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, it states, referring to Jesus’ call of His Apostles, “He went up the mountain and summoned those whom He wanted and they came to him.”
It is so comforting to consider that we are not just called by God but that we are, in fact, wanted by Him.
It is in this Scripture that we see Jesus choosing those whom He will be mentoring and equipping to live out His mission here on earth after He is gone.
He makes this clear in their mission, after He has discipled them and returns to them after His Resurrection and says to them, “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
This practice of “apprenticing” was not unusual in biblical times.
If an individual were seeking to be apprenticed as a rabbi, that person would spend many years living with and sharing life with the one whom they hoped to emulate and learn from.
A disciple of a rabbi would learn not only how to form others in faith, but they would also learn the daily life of the rabbi: Travel with him, eat with him, pray with him, etc.
In his book, Making Missionary Disciples: How to Live the Method Modeled by the Master, author Curtis Martin leads his readers on a practical and Biblical approach for modern-day disciples on how to answer the mission mandate and begin to share their own love for Christ.
It is part of the call of every Baptized Christian to receive the word of faith and then go forth as the apostles did to make disciples of all nations.
In the introduction of the book, Martin quotes Pope Francis from his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Guadium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), “The Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness. With Christ, joy is constantly born anew . . . I wish to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.”
Martin organizes his book into two parts.
The first half focuses on “Three Habits,” referring to the disposition of those who are answering the call to share the Gospel.
The first habit is seeking “Divine Intimacy” with God.
Second, we are to pursue “Authentic Friendship” with others and to genuinely care about their lives and their relationship with Jesus.
Finally, the third habit is “Clarity and Conviction about the Little Way of Evangelization,” which helps the follower of Jesus understand, in humility, their own call and way to participate in Christ’s mission.
The second part of the book is entitled “The Method Modeled by the Master”.
This half focuses on the way Jesus lived His public ministry: to win souls for Himself, to build a life of faith with them (also known as accompaniment), and to send them forth as “Spirit-filled evangelists”.
Overall, the book explores the idea of how to build a culture of faithfulness and fruitfulness in our lives and parishes.
Martin doesn’t just remind us of the mission call to make disciples; he gives us the tools to equip us for the mission! It is a great book to read for all those who are excited about making disciples.