I recently celebrated the funeral mass of a wonderful man, Joseph Medeiros, 92 years old. One of the proudest moments in his life is how he served our country in the US Navy. He is of that Greatest Generation. He served on the Chevalier, a destroyer in the South Pacific, a destroyer that was torpedoed and sunk. Joe was a young man at the time and he was in a life boat. Many of his companions were killed in the disaster. He saw people in the ocean, folks, his fellow mates who couldn’t swim. Joe jumped out of the boat so that others could get in. He gave his life to save others. He rescued others who otherwise would have drowned. He was willing to give his own life up for the sake of his brother sailors. Powerful, a real hero of the Great Generation.

The gospel talks about discipleship today. Discipleship, going out and spreading the word, preaching the gospel and bringing healing to the sick. Jesus sends them out in pairs so that they might support each other on the journey. Mahatma Gandhi once said that if you want change in the world you be the change. You be the change that you want for the world. Discipleship means listening to Jesus, following his word, following in his footsteps. Discipleship means be the change that you want for the world. Be heros as was Joe Medeiros willing to sacrifice for the sake of others. That’s what discipleship is all about. That is what Jesus’ life was all about, giving of himself until there simply was no more to give. Each and every one of us, the children of God, we who have been baptized have been asked. We have been called to go out and to enhance the world, to make better the world as followers, as disciples of Jesus, as was Joe Medeiros.