Opening Prayer: “Jesus, please lead us through your Holy Spirit during this time of prayer.”

Disciple

Definition: “One who is learning any art or science from one distinguished by his accomplishments.” The Catholic Encyclopedia, www.newadvent.org

Luke 5: 1-11

“While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.

Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’

Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that they were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, ‘Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.’ For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.’ When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him.”

John 4: 28-30, 39-42

“So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’ They went out of the city and were coming to him.

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me all that I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.’”

Questions for discussion

1. Who is the One distinguished by His accomplishments in these two stories? Who are the disciples?

2. Based on these two stories, what are the characteristics of a disciple?

3. Are you a disciple? Which characteristics do you see in you and which ones are you going to strengthen?

4. Do you have a “personal relationship” with Jesus? Describe your relationship. How do you nurture your relationship? Is your relationship with Jesus your top priority? What form does it take?

Every encounter is an encounter with Jesus. Is a chance to be the Jesus you are called to be at that moment in time, or to be loved by Jesus in that moment in time. But we cannot do Jesus on our own. Recall what happened when Jesus asked Peter to throw his fishing nets into the deep. After expressing his skepticism Peter did as instructed, only to find out that his nets were about to break with the weight of the fish. What did he do at that moment? He called others for help.

Yes, Peter went into the deep but could not complete the job on his own. Our personal relationship requires us to depend on others. Jesus is manifested in the communion of His disciples.