Discipleship of our Younger Parishioners

Dear Fellow Disciples:

I rarely use the word "Christian" anymore when I speak about who we are. I much prefer to speak about you and me as disciples. Why fool around with religious language? Because when a word becomes commonplace it often looses a specific meaning. For example, say the word "Christmas" and it means so many different things to different people. When I speak of the religious significance of Christmas I prefer to use the words "the Nativity." Consider the way we use the word "love." I love spinach and I love my mother. Do I love them the same way?

Being a disciple signifies actively following Jesus. Dwelling among us, Jesus formed us into a community of believers to support one another in a mutual quest to experience and proclaim the presence of God. Historically the community of believers called themselves Christians but today many people call themselves Christian even though they have little or no connection to a community of believers. I hope you are keen on thinking of yourself as a disciple and not merely a Christian.

One of my major goals is to invite the young people of our parish into active discipleship through liturgical ministries. That's why you'll see many young lectors, Eucharistic ministers, sacristans and ushers. I appreciate the way the younger parishioners are bringing new life to the whole parish as they live out their discipleship. I hope and pray that they remain disciples and not merely Christians. We all need to be good models of discipleship for them (which means none of us can be mere Christians).

Your brother,
Fr. Kevin Carlin Kennedy