In this week’s Gospel, Matthew 28:19, Jesus asks his apostles to make disciples of all nations baptizing and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded of you. I believe when Jesus says go out and baptize all nations he is asking them to widen their horizons and take them out of their comfort zone. Therefore, Jesus is defining the role of being a Disciple.

Immediately, the disciples know that they are going to be commissioned to the four corners of the Earth. Maybe, to places they haven’t been before or even to places they don’t want to go. The bottom line is they have undertaken the role of discipleship and are prepared to see it through no matter what challenges they face.

Sometimes, I must undergo tasks that I don’t really want to encounter. When I experience such difficulties, I can either refuse to see it through or try and tackle it to the best of my ability. Like the apostles there is always that fear of the unknown however, for me it is always my belief in my own knowledge and skills and faith that enables me to attempt the assignment. For the apostles they had Jesus’s last words in Matthew’s Gospel resonating in their ears, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” A statement that applies to all Christians throughout the world today when we offered the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel.