Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aparecida (Fides Service) - In this second week of the 5th General Conference of the Bishops' Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean being held in Aparecida in keeping with the overall theme of CELAM 5 "Being Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ that our peoples may have life in Him" the participants are reflecting on the subject of Discipleship.
In the working paper the bishops stress that the mission of the disciple is to "prolong in the world today the dynamism of the Incarnation", and this calls for pastoral of conversion and love and passion for the Kingdom of God". The paper states that discipleship has three stages calling, formation and mission, two dimensions personal and community and three phases attraction to the things of heaven, the scandal of the Cross, the victory of Life
The first step of formation is therefore attraction to the things of heaven, which in the life of Jesus was his public preaching in Galilee when the apostles were drawn to Him because he worked miracles, he convinced many with his teaching. It is the power of God which fills the disciples with enthusiasm. The second step in discipleship is the "scandal della cross, the path to Jerusalem the most painful part of formation, being tried in the faith personal and community Kénosis", which calls for a radical response. The third step "victory of Life. Emmaus and Pentecost", the disciples matures when he understands the "scandal of the Master's crucifixion". The bishops say this process leads the mature disciple to become an apostle and a teacher who is able to renounce self and embrace the cross every day putting his life in the hands of God to do the will of God".
The Bishops say this work of formation must be part of pastoral activity in parishes and with this in mind CELAM 5 will discuss the them of the Church's mission to evangelise, aware that one major challenge today is to update ecclesial structures starting with the parish which besides being a place where Christians go to worship and meet must become a place from which they go out on mission in search of distant or lost Catholics". (F.P.) (Agenzia Fides 22/5/2007; righe 27, parole 376)
