“Go and make disciples of all nations” was the theme of this year’s World Youth Day. It is from Jesus’ commissioning of the Eleven (no Judas at this point) in Matthew 28:19. Jesus continues, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
This means as Christians, we are all called to be evangelists (teachers and examples) of all God’s commands. But how am I going to do this? What if I do something and people hate me? What if I lose my job? Jesus ends with this: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Pope Francis put this together in a simple and clear statement (his second simple idea). “Do not be afraid” (Jesus is with you always). He points out that, “Jesus did not say: ‘One of you go,’ but ‘All of you go.’ We are sent together. When we face challenges together, then we are strong, we discover resources we did not know we had.”
When we go forth with Jesus and those he put around us, we live the words of the Psalmist, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” [Ps 27:1]
Makana Aiona is the diocesan coordinator for Young Adult Ministry.
