“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance,he humbled himself,nbecoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”. Philippians 2:5-9

To follow the Lord means to be with Him and to be sent by Him.

“He appointed twelve whom he also named apostles that they might be with him  and he might send them forth to preach.”( Mark3:14).

As His disciples we participate in His Paschal Mystery, we have a share in His suffering and joy, in His cross and resurrection. As disciples we are with the Lord. We sit at His feet and listen to Him, meditate on His Word, share His solitude and His silence, pray with Him to the Father and share the Passover meal with Him.

We follow Him along the way from His triumphal entry into Jerusalem to the stone that has been rolled away. We try to be like Him we discover a need for constant conversion. We strive that our selfishness might give way to living for others and with them; that our love of comfort might give way to the joyful commitment to Christ and those dear to him, that our desire to control might give way to contemplative appreciation of the presence of God in all things and every situation.

As Apostles we are sent out by the Lord. We carry on His mission of proclaiming in word and deed the arrival of the reign of justice, peace and joy. But like Jesus, we are exposed to rejection, suffering and conflicts which are experienced whenever the Reign of God is proclaimed effectively. We are confident that any share in the cross we are confident, nonetheless, that any share we have in the cross will lead us to the resurrection.