With the Milwaukee Brewers being in the World Series, a lot of people are really excited. People who watch the games and follow the team closely all season long are really invested. While I have watched some of the games recently, more than I have all year, I think baseball is boring, so I don’t follow the team. I could call myself a fan, having the game on the TV in the background, and only seeing bits and pieces of games. Unlike real followers of the team, I don’t know the ins and outs of the game, can’t name many of the players, and don’t know the stats of their playing. It’s easy to be a fan, tuning in on occasion and not being committed to the season. People who follow the Brewers probably watch most games intently, know all there is to know about the game and team, and are really hoping that the team wins. When it comes to our faith, are we simply fans of Jesus, or real followers?
It’s easy to be fans of Jesus. It’s not difficult to say we believe in God, to say we love Jesus, to say we’re Catholic. To actually follow Jesus takes real effort and commitment. To practice our faith and live the way Jesus commands us to means that we are invested. It means that we are disciples.
If we are followers and disciples of Jesus, we are walking with Jesus closely. Our faith isn’t just something to tune into on occasion, or in certain parts of the year. We are going to Mass at least weekly and on Holy Days of Obligation, we are going to confession, spending time in prayer, serving others, contributing to our parishes, taking time to continually learn more about our faith. We know what our faith requires of us and we are doing our best to live it. This is what being a follower of Jesus looks like.
To many, simply believing in God and believing they are good people is enough. But the reality is that believing must impact the way we live. Our faith is not something we just turn on whenever we feel like it, when it’s convenient, or when life is easy and going well. In all seasons and all parts of our lives, we must keep following Jesus and living our faith. When we have crosses in our lives, do we carry them and continue to walk with Jesus, or do we try to drop them and run away from Him and our faith?
Are we truly invested in our faith? Do we have a desire to follow Jesus every day, all year long? Or do we just tune in when it’s convenient? Do we watch from a distance, being passive about our faith and having it be in the background of our lives? My prayer for each of us today is that we’d never become just fans of Jesus, but rather, that we’d be real followers and disciples, intently living our faith and walking with Jesus daily.
