being a disciple

³¹Therefore, Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him: “If you will abide in my word, you will truly be my disciples. ³²And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

³And we can be sure that we have known him by this: if we observe his commandments. ⁴Whoever claims that he knows him, and yet does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the charity of God is perfected. And by this we know that we are in him. ⁶Whoever declares himself to remain in him, ought to walk just as he himself walked.

²⁶If anyone serves me, let him follow me. And where I am, there too my minister shall be. If anyone has served me, my Father will honor him.

²³Then he said to everyone: “If anyone is willing to come after me: let him deny himself, and take up his cross every day, and follow me.

²⁷And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple.

⁴⁰The disciple is not above his teacher. But each one will be perfected, if he is like his teacher.

³³Therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all that he possesses is not able to be my disciple.

²⁶“If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple.

¹⁹Therefore, go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have ever commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age.”

¹⁹And he said to them: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

³⁵By this, all shall recognize that you are my disciples: if you will have love for one another.”

¹⁶You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I have appointed you, so that you may go forth and bear fruit, and so that your fruit may last. Then whatever you have asked of the Father in my name, he shall give to you.

¹⁸And Jesus, drawing near, spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have ever commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age.”

²⁵Now great crowds traveled with him. And turning around, he said to them: ²⁶“If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and yes, even his own life, he is not able to be my disciple. ²⁷And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me, is not able to be my disciple. ²⁸For who among you, wanting to build a tower, would not first sit down and determine the costs that are required, to see if he has the means to complete it? ²⁹Otherwise, after he will have laid the foundation and not been able to finish it, everyone who sees it may begin to mock him, ³⁰saying: ‘This man began to build what he was not able to finish.’

³⁴And calling together the crowd with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone chooses to follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

²¹For you have been called to this because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in his footsteps.