Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The disciples of the Kingdom are baptized “in the name of the Father and of Son and of the Holy Spirit”. “In the name of” means that their life brings the mark of the Most Holy Trinity and through her, are knitted. Their existence takes a new dimension, transcendental, giving them the dignity of sons and daughters of God.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The Ascension of Jesus marks the conclusion of His earthly ministry. The mission now is entrusted to the disciples to “go throughout the world and bring the good news”. This is the missionary mandate we all have received from the earlier Church all the way to today’s disciples.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Jesus proposes again the theme of unity with the Father and with Him in love as the basic principle in the life of a disciple. To remain united with them in love is crucial for the disciples to bear good fruit. The proof that a disciple remains in them is that he or she strives to follow the Ten Commandments, to do what He commands.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Jesus' order, "Remain in me", expresses a clear worry about the temptation of the disciples to stray or to stay in the superficiality of their relationship with him. To remain means to commit to the Master, to live His Word, and more, to follow His example, especially in our relationship with others.

To strive for this radicality, which is a characteristic of Jesus, our Master. He did not opt for superficial ways or stay halfway in his obedience to the Father and in fulfilling His mission. Rather, He went all the way, embraced all the consequences, and fulfilled all promises.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The parable of the shepherd and the sheep is a perfect image of the Master-disciple relationship. To listen and recognize the shepherd's voice, calling each one by its name, leading them out, shows the deep connection between them. The disciple is a real disciple when he or she gets to this point. It doesn't happen when discipleship is fake or superficial.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The scene of the disciples of Emmaus calls our attention to a fact in the life of the disciples of all times. The Master walks with them! He explains the Scriptures to them! (First Bible study in the NT). He opens their intelligence to understand the cross as a necessary and obligatory step in discipleship.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Thomas represents all disciples who reach faith by overcoming unbelief. He imposes conditions on his faith in the resurrection, refusing to accept the testimony of his brethren. How often do we do the same? His heart was taken by some kind of materialism and rationalism. He needs to see and touch Jesus before taking a step in faith.

HE IS RISEN! ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!!! THE DISCIPLE SAW AND BELIEVED!

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The beloved disciple serves as a model for our faith in the resurrection. Different from Peter who entered the sepulcher and tried to analyze the place carefully, noticing the details, the beloved disciple realized that something very important had happened to the Master.

Dear Fellow disciples, peace.

The chief of the Roman soldiers recognizes the son of God in the crucified Jesus. He makes a confession of faith as a disciple. This was the intent of the evangelist Mark all along in his version of the gospel.

The centurion's confession passes through the contemplation of the crucified master, in whom he (and we) recognize the Son of God. He confesses Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The desire of the Greeks, "We want to see Jesus", lacked some clarity. What kind of Jesus did they want to see? The miracle worker? The leader of the multitude? The Master who speaks things never heard before? The one who gives hope to those who despair? In short, what was in the minds and hearts of those foreigners?

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

Nicodemus' visit at night allows Jesus to address a theme not only important to the disciples but to humanity. The predisposition we have to let ourselves be involved with darkness, even though the light is offered to us. Nobody is free from such risk.

Jesus is the Light the Father offers humanity. His witness of love, even to the extreme of his total surrender was enough to touch people's hearts. Was it? Many decided to tread the path of selfishness and favor injustice and evil with no regard for those who suffer.

Dear Fellow Disciples, peace.

The profanation of the temple of Jerusalem, with the commerce and exploitation of the poor dried up Jesus' patience. The gesture of throwing the money changers out of the sacred space comes from the sad realization that God's image had been distorted and profaned.