The theme for the World Youth Day this year, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next month, is “Go and make disciples of all nations” from the end of Matthew 28. Which in some ways begs the question of “what is a disciple?” What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? What are the qualifications and what does it look like? This was a question that my fellow pilgrims and I reflected on yesterday when we met for our final formation session and Commissioning Mass celebrated by Bishop Peter.
In the Gospel of Luke we come to the climax of the ministry of Jesus in the northern half of the Holy Land around the area of Galilee. Next week we will hear that Jesus ‘resolutely turns his face towards Jerusalem.’ (Luke 9:51) Today, after spending time in prayer, perhaps as he prays for his disciples, he perhaps knows that it is now time to test them with the question that continues to echo down through the ages: “Who do you say that I am?”
Recorded at St Paul’s, 8am (9’26”)
Sunday 12C. Luke 9:18-24