AMERICA/MEXICO - Encounter with God, listening to his Word, conversion of heart, integration in the community, witness and mission: traits of the disciple of Christ described by the Bishop of Querétaro in a message to lay associations and movement

Querétaro (Agenzia Fides) - "The Church, School for Disciples" is the title of a Message issued by Bishop Mario De Gasperín of the diocese of Querétaro (Mexico) to Lay Catholic Associations and Movements in preparation for the 5th General Conference of CELAM in May in Aparecida Brazil.
Recalling the theme of the Conference - "Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus Christ that our Peoples may have Life in Him" - Bishop De Gasperin underlined the traits of the disciple of Christ. "The history of salvation speaks of God’s search for man and man’s letting himself be found. It is a matter of "incessant searching" … "finding" by means of "signs of His presence: listening to the Word of God, active participation in the Holy Eucharist, adhesion to the teaching of the Church and outing oneself at the service of others ". It is not enough to find, we must also listen and this demands silence in the heart, in life. Listening to the Word, the Bishop said "has two effects: it is a Word of salvation and it gives eternal life; it also hardens the heart". In this sense he recalls "never before has the Gospel been preached as it is today in our dioceses... and never before has there been such deafness to the Word of GoD". Another important trait of the disciple is conversion, which "consists in change of heart and consequently of life style.... the measure of conversion and therefore of discipleship is imitation of Christ."
Furthermore the disciple must integrate into the community of Christ’s disciples. "Communion is the intimate nature, the essence, the strength of the Church; her weakness is separation, disunity. Apostolic movements which do no work in communion cannot build up the Church or form true disciples of Jesus". The authentic disciple is "a witness and missionary, one who builds communion in the Church and the unity of the whole human race" and wishes for "others to have the same vivifying experience and the profound faith which gives meaning to life". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 29/1/2007; righe 25, parole 361)