This morning the Church challenges us with the discipleship of three people. Isaiah, Paul and John the Baptist. The Scriptures challenges us to imitate them through in their work by attracting the sinner, bringing them home, and by using our senses as well as our heart in deepening our relationship with Jesus.

Isaiah is the servant whose job it was to bring back those who strayed from the covenant. His life was to serve God first, above all things and to bring others back to the covenant.

Paul was called to be holy. The meaning of his whole life was to attract others to pray together in the Church.

John the Baptist, who lived in the desert, was a man of truth and insight. By silencing himself, he was able to strengthen his eyes and his ears to deepen his life with God. Entering into the world, he could recognize the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.

This gift of these men is to help us see who we are or who we could be. The true disciple is a person fully engaged and alive in his faith; a person who realizes God first above all things and that I am responsible for attracting others to join us in praying together in the Church.

The disciple’s life is defined by his gathering up of those who are lost to the covenant in which they have been baptized.

The disciple of Jesus works on perfecting the virtues in his life in order to be fully alive in the Communion of the Saints, recognizing my servant hood by receiving and sharing God’s forgiveness and mercy.

And finally, the disciple is the person who, by silencing himself, is able to strengthen his eyes and his ears to deepen his life with God, so when he encounters the world at work or in the marketplace, he can help others recognize the Lamb of God Who extends to all forgiveness and mercy.

Yes, indeed, we too can re-awaken our spirit by emulating these disciples. We too can share an ignited zeal to deepen and mature our relationship with Jesus, knowing Him better by reaching out to the lost and alienated; we can become less shallow and understand the mysteries we so often celebrate here at the core of our Christian life.

“Pour on us, O Lord, the Spirit of Your love, and in Your kindness make those You have nourished by this one heavenly Bread one in mind and heart.”