Go, Therefore, and Make Disciples!
Home visits in General Cepeda, Mexico November 2019
"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..." (Matthew 28:19 NAB)
This is referred to as "The Great Commission."
Not..."The Great Suggestion."
Or..."The Great Omission!"
And, this same command - that Jesus gave to his followers over 2,000 years ago - still applies to all of his followers today.
This does not mean some people. This does not mean other people. It means you and me. We are all called to be missionaries by our baptism.
Wait...what?!
Yes! Really! If we want to truly follow Jesus, we have to make disciples!
Sadly, along the way, there has been a disconnect. As Father Thomas Dubay says in his book, Happy Are You Poor, "If we wonder why, despite the millions of us who follow Christ, the world has not been long ago converted, we need not look far for one solution. We are not perceived as men on fire. We look too much like everyone else. We appear to be compromisers, people who say that they believe in everlasting life but actually live as though this life is the only one we have. A small band of men with deep, burning, convictions went out into the first century and converted the known world. By the fourth century, that world had been largely transformed." More words "are not going to sway many people unless they hear those words in the context of a life selflessly given to God and His people."
Ok...(rolling up sleeves)...So, how do we become missionary disciples (who make disciples)? Well, in our experience, prayer is always the best place to start! We can thank the Lord for our call to missions...We can offer ourselves to him...We can ask him to reveal himself to us...In addition, we've listed some of our "Favorite Missionary Disciple Resources" here in our "FAVES." Also, below are some of the Acosta kids' "Tips on Being a Missionary Disciple":
