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7 and this place? Discipleship, with its intentional, lived formation hands on the faith through a per- sonal encounter. The future of the Church depends on new mis- sionary disciples formed to bequeath the riches of our faith. The Holy Spirit raises up disciples and calls forth those who will cooperate with his grace. Without missionary disciples, the Church risks acting contrary to her nature, becoming salt that has lost its flavor or a light hidden under a bushel basket (cf. Matt 5:13-14). She also risks continuing to hemorrhage more than the 31.6 million Catholics in America already lost f rom among her fold. The re - turn to intentional imitation among her members must begin if the Church is to fulfill her God-given mission to evangelize. Discipleship in the School As John Paul II often repeated, "only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light" (Gaudium et Spes, 22). Jesus, the perennial Teacher, reveals the truth about man and teaches us how to live. Christ teaches us how to love and what to hate; where to spend time and where to spend money; how to be faithful and how to forgive. He instructs us in prayer and shows by his death how to die. He leads us to the Father and makes known the Father's love for us. Thus, disci - pleship is a living imitation of Christ Jesus Himself, embracing the whole of life. But Christ did not invite disciples to imitate Him solely in a one-on-one setting. He formed a com- munity of disciples around Himself to strengthen, through friendship and shared life, the art of living he imparts. The Catholic school likewise exists as a