Browsing by Author "Otieno, Gilbert"

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    Call and Mission of Disciples in Mark 1:16-20 And 6:7-14: Its Relevance to Religious Life
    (Tangaza University College, 2006) Otieno, Gilbert
    This work intends to explain the understanding of Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark. The term discipleship or following of Christ seems to have a wider meaning in the Gospel of Mark. First, it would mean the life of people who accepted the message of Christ, but remained in the same situation of home and work in which the Gospel found them, even though they were interiorly transformed by it. Secondly, it would refer to stricter following of Christ like the disciples who accompanied Jesus in his missionary travels from Galilee to Jerusalem. In the second meaning, the New Testament clearly gives the names of the four who, according to the synoptic Gospels, were the first to be called. They are, Simon, Andrew, James and John (cf Mk. 1:16-20). Our study would concentrate on this second meaning. In our discussion we shall look at the call of these four basing ourselves on the Gospel of Mark. We shall also look at the sending of the Twelve (Mk. 6:7-13). After a brief study of these passages (Mk 1:16-20 and Mk 6; 7-13), we shall try to look at what the religious can learn from these passages for the positive response to their Divine Call. In doing this however, we are not going to give the history of Religious Life. It is just an invitation to the religious communities to renew themselves in the spirit of the Gospels. It is fitting because today the religious must find a new meaning for their presence in the community of Jesus' disciples by penetrating deeply into the biblical word. This is to enrich the religious in their daily response to the divine call by making them equipped to be interpreters and livers of the Word of God in the ever-changing world. It is my belief that through the authentic interpretation and living of the word, the religious will grow in intimate and close relationship with Jesus, something that gives meaning and life to their call.