St. Philip the Apostle Parish: Session 9; A Disciple is a Person of Faith

Print out these pages, answer all questions, and return the completed sheets to your catechist.

This passage from the Gospel of Matthew is known as the "great commission." It is made up of the final two verses of Matthew's Gospel and summarizes the mission of the followers of Jesus. The command from Jesus is a mandate to build the Reign of God.

Some religious groups interpret the passage literally and believe that Christians should try to convert everyone to believe what they do about Jesus and the Scriptures. Other Christian denominations, including the Catholic Church, interpret the passage more broadly. Catholics believe that the great commission of Jesus is a call to all his followers - or disciples - to witness to his life, death, and Resurrection by living life to its fullest. That is, disciples are called to live by the Spirit of Jesus in prayer, community, study, and service.

A Disciple is . . .
Read each of the following scripture passages. Some describe an activity, some a struggle, some a characteristic. For each one complete the statement "A disciple is someone who..."

Sample responses:
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Matt 8:23-27 (the storm at sea)
A disciple is someone who is sometimes afraid.

Matt 13:36 (Jesus is asked about the meaning of parables.)
A disciple is someone who wants to know more about what Jesus taught. A disciple is someone who is sometimes confused by what Jesus taught.

Most people, at some point in their life, make a choice to follow someone or something. People commit to all sorts of causes, good and bad, in an attempt to fulfill the spiritual hungers of life. One person may commit to a political or social cause to make life better. Someone else may commit to a purely selfish cause. Yet all share common characteristics.

The Gospels are filled with stories of people who were intrigued enough by Jesus that they wanted to know more about him and his message and tried to live what Jesus preached. All these people were disciples - people who believed in the message of Jesus, tried to live by his spirit, and were commited to his cause. That is, they embraced his mission to build God's Reign.

Jesus' call to discipleship was not limited to a certain group of people who lived at a certain time in history. The call to Christian discipleship is universal and ongoing and extends to all human beings.

Recall the conversion process talked about in your small group two sessions ago. Disciples are not people who have all their hungers met, have found all the answers, or do not find themselves looking for something deeper. The characteristic of a true disciple is that such a person has been awakened to the presence of God in his or her life and wants to deepen the relationship by living in the spirit of Jesus.

A disciple is a normal human being with a normal life. It should be apparent by the above scripture passages that a disciple works, learns, spends time with friends, has parents who care about them, has ups and downs, may be involved in a romantic relationship, and cares about others. A disciple also believes in Jesus, serves others, prays alone and with other people, wants to learn more about Jesus, and is hopeful and joyful. But a disciple may also struggle, doubt, question, be afraid, argue, complain, be skeptical or confused, mess up once in a while, and be hurt.

Reflection and Prayer: Are You Willing
Everyone is called to live the Christian life as a disciple of Jesus. A large part of being a Christian disciple is simply the willingness to do it. Saying YES to being a disciple and actually being one are two different things.

Perhaps Simon of Cyrene, the man who was pressed into service to carry Jesus' cross part of the way to Calvary, is the model for discipleship. He certainly did not volunteer for the job, but he did what he had to do. First, he took the cross. Then because he had no idea where he was going, he followed Jesus.

For most people, the choice to follow Jesus is not the result of a cataclysmic happening. Most people, like Simon, just happen to be standing on the sidelines with the rest of the crowd when the opportunity to serve appears. When that happens, a Christian disciple makes the choice to serve, even if he or she is pressed into service like Simon. And because we need the guidance, we follow Jesus. One can only imagine how Simon's life was changed because of his choice.

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Listed below are some characteristics of Christian discipleship that were discussed in this session. Place a check in the column that most accurately describes your self-evaluation in each category. 1. Yes, that's me.
2. I do pretty well.
3. I'm just okay.
4. I need a lot of work.
5. I'm just not interested.

Characteristics 1 2 3 4 5

1. Disciples believe in Jesus Christ - even thouth they're skeptical at times.

2. Disciples are willing, open, and teachable - even when the lessons are hard.

3. Disciples are searching for a deeper relationship with God - even though they sometimes ignore God.

4. Disciples share faith by word and example - even when people aren't listening or watching.

5. Disciples make time for prayer - even when it's one more thing to fit into an already busy schedule.

6. Disciples worship with other people - even when they don't really want to.

7. Disciples are grateful for what God has done for them - even though they want more.

8. Disciples know the spirit of God is with them - even when the spirit seems absent.

9. Disciples care for other people and serve them - even those that are hard to love.

10. Disciples want to know more about God - even when it's not the popular thing to do.

If I were to grade myself on living the Christian life right now, I would give myself the following grade (circle one):

One of the duties of a Christian disciple is to pray for other disciples. Right now take some time to pray for each member of your small group including your catechist(s). Ask the Holy Spirit to help them with the many tough choices they face each day.