Living Real Discipleship

What is living real discipleship? Is it going to Mass on Sundays to fulfill one's obligation? Is it occasionally saying a prayer when someone asks for a prayer? Is it calling oneself Catholic and when convenient following the magisterium of the Catholic Church? I think not. I think that when Jesus calls us to discipleship, and He describes real discipleship in Matthew Chapters 16-18, He is calling us to be out on a limb every moment of our lives. He is asking us to put ourselves last, and others first, to reach for the lost and the sinners, and bring them back, for this pleases Him most. He is asking us to speak kindly to all we come in contact with, from the important people in our lives, to the simple parishioner who means nothing to us. For if we speak unkindly and hurt someone's feelings, we hurt Jesus' feelings. He asks us to visit the sick, the imprisoned, to give up our own comforts to feed the needs of others. This means bringing difficulty and discomfort upon ourselves to help make life more comfortable for others. It is easy to smile and be kind to those who reciprocate to us. But, is it easy to be kind to those we do not particularly like? This is what true discipleship is. Correcting a friend who is making poor choices, out of love for their eternal soul, is a work of mercy. This sets them back on the track toward holiness. There are many little ways we can be disciples in our everyday life. Listen to the call of the Holy Spirit and act on it.