These are two simple words that hold a lot of promise for meditation.
"Follow me" is a simple command, but, like the cross each of us is to bear, it has a meaning that is unique to each individual.
Everyone is called to follow Jesus, to discover the salvation wrought for each person by God. Each person is to follow Jesus and to proclaim the gospel—but once again, how each person does that is in part decided by how that person has been formed in the image of God. Some preach, some write (my personal favorite), some cook, some clean homes, some listen, some read to handicapped children, some drive people to and from church and meetings. Some people do all of these. There are millions of ways to follow Jesus.
So while the words are simple, the possibilities are endless. And the season of Lent is a perfect time to discover what those possibilities might be. By fasting, repentance, almsgiving, and prayer, we set out to discover what God wants from us. This is a season for that kind of work--a specially blessed season during which we can discover what it means to follow Jesus.
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I had a couple of occasions today to evangelize and plant some seeds to try and get two different people back to Christ's Church.
The first was a customer who came in to have a hitch installed on his car. Since I was the only one there with the know-how to install it, the task fell to me. As I began to install it, I was making small talk with him and somehow the conversation turned to the customer's experience as a product of Catholic schools and as an altar boy back in the '60s--an experience we shared in that I was also an altar boy in the '60s--in Latin, no less! I was relating all of the wonderful recent events about Lorenzo, Lily, and just the whole Lenten season that just began, when the customer told me that it was all great, but that he felt he had to admit he wasn't practicing and hadn't practiced for many years. I told him it was none of my business, but that I would pray that he return soon. He said he didn't know, he was out of it for a long time. I told him that one of these days, Jesus was going to call him back into the fold and that I hoped it was soon. He said he doubted it, because he hadn't heard Him yet! I explained that it's not usually a one-way exchange and that we hold some of the responsibility for a relationship with Jesus. We have to listen.
After he paid for the hitch, he shook my hand and said, "Nice visiting with you." I replied, with a wink, "See you in church!" He said, "Probably not." I said, "We'll see!" I prefer to think that I planted a seed. Our earlier conversation gave me hope for his reversion.
One of the girls I work with overheard our final exchange and let me in on a "secret" I didn't know. She was Catholic and practiced until she received her First Holy Communion! I have known her for quite a few years, and I never knew this about her! Anyway, she asked me if I would answer a question for her. She wanted to know why some babies who born to parents who are not married are not allowed to be baptised. I explained that the priest who refused the Sacrament was not refusing, but was most likely concerned that the child would not receive the proper Catholic upbringing she was entitled to as a Christian, by virtue of her baptism if the the parents were not practicing Catholics. I said in many cases the baby can be baptised IF the godparents are practicing catholics and the priest is confident the child will be formed in the faith. She gave me the impression she thought baptism was just one of the things parents do when they have kids, and who did the priest think he was, refusing to baptise the baby! I explained the SACRAMENT of Baptism and its importance as the first step in forming a child's identity and faith in Christ--not just as a reason to honor somebody by naming them a godparent, like it is a symbolic position in life. I told her the godparents have to be chosen carefully because should the parents shirk their responsibility in teaching the child about his Savior, the duty falls to the godparents, who will be held just as responsible in the eyes of God should the child be lost to the Faith.
She appeared to be taken aback by my bluntness, but then she said, "That makes sense!" Score one for the Church.
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