By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
In today’s world, it is easy to become distracted. Work, family responsibilities, technology and the constant busyness of life can pull our attention in many directions. In the midst of it all, we sometimes lose sight of the one who is meant to be at the very center of everything — Jesus Christ.
This is why it helps to look back at the first disciples. By walking with them through the Gospels, we can better understand what it means to be a disciple and how we are called to live as faithful stewards today.
One day on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew were busy fishing when Jesus called out to them: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Mt 4:19). Fishing was not just their occupation — it was their livelihood, their identity. Yet when Christ called, they left everything behind.
Luke’s Gospel makes the radical nature of discipleship even clearer: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk 14:26). Jesus is not calling us to reject our families, but to understand that true discipleship requires complete selflessness.
Still, Peter and Andrew didn’t hesitate. Matthew tells us simply: “At once they left their nets and followed him” (Mt 4:20). No lengthy deliberation, just a wholehearted yes.
Soon after, the disciples gathered with Jesus on a mountainside and received his teachings — the Beatitudes, the call to be salt and light, the command to pray, fast and give alms.
Strengthened by this encounter, the disciples set out to proclaim the kingdom: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give” (Mt 10:7-8). Their lives were transformed, and they went on to transform the world.
Jesus also promised them a reward: “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (Mt 10:40). Through their faithfulness, the apostles drew countless souls to Christ. Today, we honor their witness as saints who now enjoy the eternal reward of heaven.
What does this mean for us? If we long for the same eternal reward, we too must embrace a life of discipleship — a life of stewardship.
That means giving the Lord our time by making prayer a daily priority. It means offering our talents — whether fishing nets, teaching skills, or a gift for music — for the glory of God and the good of others. And it means sharing our treasure, recognizing that where we place our resources, we also place our hearts (Mt 6:21).
Just as he did on the shores of Galilee, Christ is calling us by name today. He walks the streets of our towns, inviting us to follow him. The only question is: How will we respond?