When Jesus called his first disciples, he didn’t invite them just to attend his public lectures, but to join him, to live with him, to share meals with him, to pray with him, to teach with him, and to serve the poor with him. To share life with him.
The image above depicts Jesus’ call of the first disciples (Luke 5: 1-10). Look at the faces of Peter (still called Simon then) and James. Look at the intensity in their faces. Jesus had just finished preaching to a crowd, from Simon’s boat and he had instructed them to cast their nets again. Despite being out all night and nothing to show for it, they cast again into the water.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”
Over the course of many weeks and months, the disciples absorbed Jesus’s way of living. Imagine spending three years living with Jesus.
If we wish to follow Jesus as disciples, we too will seek to be absorbed into his way of living. Over time we will be transformed — little by little — taking on the character of Christ, imitating his way of life.
Click on the video below and explore with Fr. Ron Will the idea of being absorbed into The Way of the Teacher.
New videos will be posted on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’ll send you an email on Thursdays to remind you to watch. You can find all the videos here (after they are posted): Lent Video Series. You can share your thoughts about the video on our Facebook page.
[Fr. Ron Will, a Precious Blood priest and spiritual director, is a graduate of Catholic Theological Union and Creighton University’s School of Christian Spirituality. He has a special interest in helping form intentional disciples of Jesus, encouraging others to go spiritually deep-sea diving to explore a deeper relationship with God, and walking with people as they dive into the ocean of God’s mystery actually experiencing God rather than simply dipping one’s toe into the water.]
An Encounters of the Fourth Kind Video
By Fr. Ron Will, CPPS
I’m sure you’ve seen pictures earth taken from outer space. Or gazed yourself upon a full moon. As you admire the beauty of the night sky, allow gratitude to the creator to rise in your heart. This 10-minute meditation invites to experience the awesome beauty of God’s creation.
Immersed in Mass, Encountering God
Each eucharistic celebration is an encounter with Jesus. Attending Mass week after week, year after year, one is tempted to turn on automatic pilot and become numb to that encounter. Awaken your senses and learn how what we do at Sunday Mass relates to the bigger picture of your life.