One of the most compelling figures in the Gospels is Simon Peter. Through the Gospels, we catch a glimpse of a man who was first introduced to Jesus by his brother Andrew, and who later becomes a great missionary disciple.
The journey that is painted in the Gospels of Simon becoming St. Peter is a journey that can teach us so much about how people grow in their relationships with Jesus and become missionary disciples. Rarely do we get to see the spiritual journey of a person with such detail.
The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark contains a striking interaction between Simon Peter and Jesus.
“And passing along by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately, they left their nets and followed him” — Mark 1:16–18.
Surprisingly, these three verses in the Gospel contain a miniature depiction of Simon Peter’s entire spiritual journey toward missionary discipleship.
From this Gospel passage, we see that the process of becoming a missionary disciple is a journey through three stages:
- HEAR — To hear Jesus’ call to be his disciple
- GIVE — To give our entire life over to Jesus as his disciple
- GO — To go and make disciples of Jesus
The pathway that Simon journeyed, that made him into St. Peter, is one that you can travel on as well.
To help you make this journey yourself, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is offering a “Missionary Discipleship Pathway,” a series of evangelizing experiences, to adults who are curious about, or seeking to explore and deepen their relationships with Jesus.
Each virtual experience meets you where you are at in your own relationship with Jesus, and challenges you to take your next step along the pathway.
You are invited to travel this pathway by attending one, or all three, virtual experiences.
If the same opportunity of transformation and spiritual growth that moved Simon into becoming St. Peter is also available to you, what are you waiting for?
Join us by registering for the Archdiocesan Missionary Discipleship Pathway: https://lacatholics.org/missionary-discipleship-pathway/
