Marks of a Disciple
The universal call to holiness is a call to true discipleship. To be a disciple of Christ mean to follow him, to heed the call to holiness, and to respond accordingly. If we are serious about personal sanctity, there are several characteristics that will mark us as disciples of Christ. In the Catholic tradition, the marks of a disciple are the core traits and actions that show a person actively follows, loves, and serves Jesus Christ.
CCC 1816: “The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it: "All however must be prepared to confess Christ before men and to follow him along the way of the Cross, amidst the persecutions which the Church never lacks." Service of and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation: "So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." (Mt 10:32-33).
First of all, we must conform ourselves to Christ in word and deed. The life of Christ in the Gospels sets an example for us to follow. Christ spoke against sin and injustice, and he treated everyone with love and compassion. He worked for the good of all, offering his love, care, and healing for everyone regardless of wealth or condition. He had a special concern for the poor, the outcast, the sick, and the grieving.
We should also seek the will of the Father in all things. We can discover the will of the Father by praying, receiving the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance regularly, and allowing ourselves to be guided by the wisdom of the Church. Sanctity entails joining our wills to God’s will. A good confessor or spiritual director can serve as a great ally in this endeavor.
The path to holiness runs through the Sacraments of the Church. In Baptism, we are cleansed of Original Sin, received into the Church, and infused with the Holy Spirit. In Confirmation and the Eucharist, we complete that initiation and are strengthened for living the Christian life. Through Penance, our sins are forgiven so that we may begin again on the path of virtue and sanctity. In Matrimony and Holy Orders, we receive the gifts necessary for the state of life to which we are each called. And in anointing of the Sick, we are granted forgiveness, emboldened to face suffering and prepared for death and entry into new life.
We should also devote ourselves to God’s glory. Serving God is about recognizing his glory and might so that the good we accomplish is done in his name and with all due humility. God is the ultimate source of the very gifts we use to serve him and our neighbor; hence our glorification of God is rightly expressed through both prayer and action.
It is natural to seek to love and serve our neighbor. “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (Jn 13: 34-35). Charity is the soul of holiness. God places people in our lives who need our assistance; we must seek to aid them to the extent that it is prudent and to the extent that we are able.
CCC 826: “Charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it "governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification." If the Church was a body composed of different members, it couldn't lack the noblest of all; it must have a Heart, and a Heart BURNING WITH LOVE. And I realized that this love alone was the true motive force which enabled the other members of the Church to act; if it ceased to function, the Apostles would forget to preach the gospel, the Martyrs would refuse to shed their blood.
Suffering in this life is inevitable, but Christ gives value to our sufferings when we unite them to his suffering. When we offer up our sufferings for others, they have a redemptive value both for ourselves and for those for whom we pray. Even if we choose God, we must always recognize that God choose us first. It is he who invites us to holiness; it is he who offers us grace, his guidance, and his Law so that we may grow in holiness. To seek holiness so as to be welcomed into eternal life is the purpose of our existence.
—Deacon Gerry Flamm
“Dear children, today I am calling you: return to God, return to prayer, so that you may become carriers of peace. Pray, little children, for peace that is in danger; and may prayer begin to flow anew from your hearts and from your families, so that, in joy, you may feel the voice of Jesus in your hearts: ‘Peace be with you.’ Be, little children, carriers of peace and prayer for all those who do not pray. I am with you and I pray for you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
