“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18)
Just what is a missionary disciple? A simple answer is a disciple who has a mission. In this Sunday’s Gospel passage, Jesus changed Simon’s name when he became the foundation of the Church. Simon’s new name, Petros–Rock, reflected his new mission to be the solid ground for the Church to be built upon.
God also has a new name for each of us. Isaiah prophesied to Israel, but in some way it also applies to each person: “…you shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will give” (62:2). When, God willing, we enter heaven in triumph, we will receive this new name. Jesus will write it upon us: “I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name” (Revelation 2:17).
We are each called to serve the Lord in some specific way. Do you know the mission that God has planned for you (Jeremiah 29:11)? Spend some time in prayer asking Him to guide you to your personal mission. First, consider your vocation, whether you are married, single, widowed, or a young person. Are you a parent or grandparent? Consider the gifts He has given you and the desires He has placed in your heart. Where is God leading you in this season of your life? What role can only you fill in the lives of the people around you? How can you personally build up His Kingdom? How do you think your new name might be linked to this mission?
God will give you everything you need to complete your mission. Peter wrote how God provides for us to live the life He has planned for us: “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).
The sacrament of Confirmation strengthens us for this mission: “By Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled, so that their lives may give off ‘the aroma of Christ’” (CCC 1294). Truly, God will equip you for your mission, giving you everything you need to carry it out when you call upon Him in prayer.
Father, thank you for equipping me for my mission. “When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me” (Psalm 138:3).