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St. Augustine: 30 Caputo Road, North Branford, CT 06471

St. Monica: 1321 Middletown Ave., Northford CT 06472

The office is located in the Parish Center at St. Augustine

203.484.0403

Traits of a Disciple - Takes a Conscious Commitment

Takes a Conscious Commitment

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27. If we meet Christ, desire to accept his invitation to follow Him and work towards becoming a disciple, we must realize that it takes a conscious decision. You do not become a disciple passively, you become one by making the decision and acting in ways that support that choice. When this is understood, it becomes clear that this isn't a decision that can be made by your parents or grandparents, your priest or even Christ Himself. Jesus is inviting you to follow Him. He desires to have a relationship with you personally, so you must be the one to decide whether you will accept or reject His invitation. Having a relationship with someone takes commitment. It means you are willing to take the time and put in the effort that is necessary to help this relationship flourish. If you accept this invitation to follow Christ, take time to personally reflect on your life, how you're acting and how you can grow as a disciple - then start taking action! 

Reflection Questions

  • How do I spend my time throughout the day? What areas, activities and people receive most of my attention?
  • Do these areas lead me closer or further away from my relationship with God? How?
  • Is my faith important to me?
  • Do I really believe that Christ is who He says He is?
  • Do I believe that a relationship with Christ is necessary and important?
  • Do my actions and the way I'm living my life support my answers?
  • In what ways do I feel like I can be more intentional in my relationship with God?
  • Am I willing to put in the time and effort to grow in the T.R.A.I.T.S. of a disciple?
  • Is there one that you feel like you are already applying to your life? Is there one that you feel like you are struggling with the most?

Examples of Action Steps

  • Think about and decide whether or not you want to accept Christ's invitation to become like Him and pursue a life as a disciple of Christ.
  • Become familiar with the T.R.A.I.T.S. of a disciple so you can better understand what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ.
  • Look to the people that are in your life - family, friends, people in your parish or community - that live as authentic disciples of Christ. Reflect on what they do and how they act that makes them a good disciple and work towards modeling your behaviors like them.
  • Take the time to read through and think about the reflection questions under each of the T.R.A.I.T.S. Be honest with yourself when answering the questions so you know the areas that you need to grow in. Don't be discouraged if there is room for a lot of growth! Discipleship is a journey and no disciple is ever done growing!
  • Look at the examples of action steps under each of the T.R.A.I.T.S. Reflect on the ones that you are already living out and on the ones that you may need to start living out.
  • Most importantly, take time to pray for the guidance and strength from the Lord as more intentionally walk down the road of discipleship!


To return to the T.R.A.I.T.S. of a Disciple, click here.

To continue on to Reflection Questions and Examples of Action Steps for Routinely Serve out of Love, click here.

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