Discipleship
Follow me.
Jesus Christ
Opening Prayer
Nothing is more beautiful than finding God,
that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination and your heart,
will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you will do with your evenings,
how you will spend your weekends,
what you read, who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you the joy and gratitude.
Together let us pray for the grace that we might fall in love with Christ again today,
so that we might stay in love with him
and allow that love to decide everything.
Adapted from the works of Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
Introduction
Followers of Jesus Christ are called disciples. The word ‘disciple’ is based on the word for pupil or student. In the New Testament it refers to those who learned from Jesus and followed him. It also refers to those who continued to follow him throughout the centuries and follow him today.
Jesus’ call is a simple invitation to be in relationship with him. He asks that we “follow” him (Mt 4:19) and “come and see” (Jn 1:39) for ourselves what life as his disciple is all about.
It is through listening for God’s voice and accepting the call to holiness and discipleship that we learn how to follow him and be witnesses of our faith. Pope John Paul II reminded us that:
Now more than ever it is crucial that [we] be ‘watchers of the dawn,’ the lookouts who announce the light of dawn and the new springtime of the Gospel of which the buds can already be seen. Humanity is in urgent need of the witness of free and courageous young people who dare to go against the tide and proclaim faith in God, Lord and Saviour. (Message of the Holy Father John Paul II for the 18th WYD, April 12, 2003)
Questions
Ask your group the following as a follow-up or even as a lead-in to the above introduction:
What do you think being a disciple of Jesus means? What is discipleship?
How do you learn from Jesus today?
How can the modern world benefit from witnesses of the Gospel message?
Understanding
When we think of disciples we usually concentrate on the 12. However, there were many more followers of Jesus Christ. We read in Scripture that Jesus either visited them or they traveled with him and were his ‘students.’ The Church recognizes these people as disciples and when we remember them on their feast days, they are commemorated as ‘disciples of the Lord.’
Divide the group into 8 and assign each group one of the following disciples. Ask them to do one of the following activities. Have enough Bibles on hand for all the groups. It may be handy to have Internet access as well.
- You are doing a documentary on your assigned disciple. How would you present his/her life? Do a storyboard for this documentary. During your presentation to the large group, you may wish to act out a key moment.
- Create a poster or display about your disciple. Be prepared to present this to the group.
When putting together your presentation look at the entire New Testament and consider what were they key moments in their lives? What did they reveal about the disciple?
Disciples:
- Simon Peter
- Mary, Jesus’ mother
- John
- Mary Magdalene
- Thomas
- Martha
- Paul
- Mary (sister of Martha and Lazarus)
In the discussion about the disciples, ask them what kind of a picture emerges about being a disciple and discipleship? Points to bring out are that none of the disciples were perfect. John and Jesus’ mother are the closest to being ‘perfect’ and yet even they have their moments of misunderstanding. In Mark’s Gospel, John wanted to be seated at Jesus’ right hand, and Mary was trying to call him away from the crowds. You don’t have to be perfect to be a disciple – you don’t even have to be quick on the uptake, just look at Peter! What is important is to keep trying to understand and follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
It is also important to note that disciples love and support each other. They are not lone rangers but are part of a larger community. They are also Jesus’ messengers – they proclaim the good news of the kingdom.
Based on the above activity, if you were to describe a “super disciple,” what would he/she look like?
What would be the soundtrack to this disciple’s life?
Reflection
Pick one of the following passages and pray with it using the Lectio Divina resource found in the prayer section.
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:1-11
He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:34-38
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Closing Prayer
A Prayer by Thomas Merton
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will does
not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
Does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road
Though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore, I will trust you always though I may
seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,
And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.
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