All Christians, we’re told, are invited to a “renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Christ calls us to himself in many different ways but especially through his Church and the life of the Holy Spirit. Just like the first disciples, meeting the risen Lord is the first step of encounter. We do this through baptism. This is what makes us missionary disciples – we encounter Christ and we go to tell others. Encounter with the risen Lord looked different for each of the disciples. Mary identified him when he called out her name in the garden of the tomb. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized him in the sharing of the word and the breaking of the bread. Those in the Upper Room couldn’t lock him out as he penetrated the doors and offered them the gift of peace.
Each of us encounters the risen Lord differently, as well. Since our baptism, the Lord continues to reach out, embrace, and invite us to a deeper relationship with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Our encounters are varied but the same Lord desires to call us repeatedly to himself.
- What does your relationship with the risen Lord look like today?
- In what ways do you cultivate your friendship with Jesus Christ?
- How do we help others grow in their relationship with Jesus?
- How can our parish continue to accompany and culminate our relationship?
- What more can we do to present opportunities not in place here at Saint Patrick?
These are just a number of the questions steering our first small group meetings this coming week.
Please join us. For more information and to register, please go to our website: stpatrickbridge.org.
Next week: What does it mean to accompany?