by dr. John Lydon
“By faith, the Apostles left everything to follow their Master (cf. Mk 10:28). They believed the words
with which he proclaimed the Kingdom of God present and fulfilled in his person
(cf. Lk 11:20). They lived in
communion of life with Jesus who instructed them with his teaching, leaving
them a new rule of life, by which they would be recognized as his disciples
after his death”
The above statement, taken from Pope
Benedict XVI’s announcement of the Year of Faith[1]
beginning on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the
Second Vatican Council, highlights four key themes in the context of faith and
the Catholic teacher:
§ The faith of the disciples of Jesus
§ Faith and the teacher – Vatican II and subsequent documents
§ Christian community life
§ Integrity of Life.
The faith of the disciples of Jesus
In a previous article for the Pastoral Review[2]
I highlighted the significance of the response of the first disciples of Jesus
to His call, encapsulated in the use of the Greek word ‘aphentes’, translated
in most texts as ‘they left’ but denoting a radical break with the past and a
commitment to a new venture. (Mark 1:16-18). It could be suggested that the word indicates
the disciples making a radical break from their former livelihoods and embarking
upon an unknown path of discipleship. Following Jesus means rupturing family
ties, echoing the promise made by Jesus of the rewards to be gained in return
for faithfully following him in
answer to Peter’s question “We have left everything to follow you, what then
shall we have?: (Mt: 19:27)
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