SCIC Triduum Day 1: Discipleship

The evening began with the raising of the SCIC flag. It marked more than just the start of a feast. It was the beginning of a journey. A reminder that we’re not just remembering the lives of Saints Chastan and Imbert, but being invited to follow their example. And that example is discipleship.

In his homily, Fr Michael Teng brought us back to something we often overlook. Discipleship is not a special vocation for a chosen few. It began for each of us at baptism. It’s not just a title, and it’s not reserved for saints or religious. It’s a call for all of us, right here and now.

But it’s a call that demands a response. A choice. One that’s not always easy to make.

Fr Michael asked, “Would you sell everything and follow Jesus?” It’s a piercing question. Most of us would hesitate. We like the idea of following Jesus. But if we’re honest, we want to follow Him on our terms. We want to be close enough for comfort, but not so close that it costs us something. We’re afraid of what we might lose: our time, our comfort, our possession, our reputation.

But the truth is, discipleship is not about convenience. It’s about surrender.

When Jesus called the first disciples, they left their boats, their families, their careers. No hesitation. No conditions. Because what He offered wasn’t of this world. It was something eternal. A treasure not found in possessions or praise, but in the joy of living fully for God.

In the first reading, Paul encourages Timothy, a young man, to preach and teach with courage. “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young,” he says. That message still rings true today. You can be young and uncertain. You can be older and still feel like you don’t have the right words. But God calls you anyway. And He gives His Spirit to those who say yes, not because they are perfect, but because they are willing.

We are reminded that listening to the Word of God is not enough. We must act on it. Let it change us. Let it move us. Let it push us out of our comfort zones and into the mission field, whether that’s across the world or across the dinner table.

That’s where the lives of St Chastan and St Imbert come alive for us today. They left everything they knew in France and went to Korea, a land unfamiliar and dangerous, just to preach the Gospel. They didn’t go for glory. They went because they believed. And even when their lives were threatened, they stayed. Because Christ was worth it.

Their witness makes us pause. If they could leave everything for the Gospel, what are we holding on to? What are we afraid to let go of?

Discipleship is not always about going far. Sometimes it’s about going deep. Deep into prayer, into Scripture, into relationships, into hard conversations, into truth.

And that truth, as Fr Michael said, is the foundation of our discipleship. Not convenience. Not popularity. But truth. Truth that saves. Truth that sends us out to proclaim the good news.

We may not be asked to die for our faith like St Chastan and St Imbert. But we are asked to live for it. Daily. Boldly. Lovingly.

Let their lives remind us that discipleship always involves a cost. But it’s a cost that leads to joy, to purpose, and to a life that is full, free, and eternally anchored in Christ. (BV)