"Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."
"Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men."
- Matthew 4:19
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Jesus had a large circle of disciples around him, both men and women. From this circle he selected twelve men whom he called →APOSTLES (Lk 6:12-16). The apostles were specially trained by him and entrusted with various commissions: “He sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal” (Lk 9:2). Jesus took only these twelve apostles with him to the Last Supper, where he gave them the command, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19b). [551-553, 567]
The apostles became witnesses of Jesus’ Resurrection and guarantors of the truth about him. They continued Jesus’ mission after his death. They chose successors for their ministry: the bishops. To this day, the successors of the apostles exercise the authority conferred by Jesus: They govern and teach and celebrate the liturgy. The cohesiveness of the apostles became the foundation for the unity of the →CHURCH (→APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION). Preeminent once again among the Twelve was Peter, on whom Jesus bestowed special authority: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18). From Peter’s special role among the apostles developed the papal ministry.
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12 Marks of Discipleship
12 Marks of Discipleship
Disciples are called - Luke 5:1-11 perfectly illustrates this. God always acts first! Jesus came to the fishermen and gave them an invitation. It was only after this invitation to discipleship that our choice matters. Jesus has called each of us. The next step is...
Disciples intentionally respond to Jesus' call - After we are called, then a disciple must respond positively to the call! If Peter had not dropped his nets and followed Jesus, he would not be a disciple. You can't follow, if you don't make a choice. Discipleship is never inherited or accidental!
Disciples love - This is a primary mark of a disciple. Love of God and love of others. Jesus says that others will know we are disciples by our love for one another. (John 13:35).
Disciples are fruitful - In fact, Jesus says that being fruitful PROVES that you are his disciple. "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples" -John 15:8.
Disciples are obedient - Go a little farther in John 15 and you find in verse 14 - "you are my friends if you do what I command". Notice, we can't be intimate with Jesus and be disobedient. It is a non-starter.
Disciples are taught - In Scripture, we constantly find the disciples of Jesus learning from Him. They listen and then implement the teaching in their lives (or at least attempt to). We too have to follow this model. The life of a Christian disciple is one of lifelong learning.
Disciples follow - The word, "disciple", means "follower". All of our life of discipleship starts with following Jesus. We must do as he did. Love as he loved. Choose what he chose. "Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him" -Luke 8:1
Disciples keep an eye on Heaven - The life we live now is not our final home. In fact, we are made to live with God forever in eternal bliss. Still, this heavenly home is determined by our decisions in this life. The prize of heaven is a gift we must keep our eyes on, so that we don't lose the eternal perspective of God.
Disciples carry crosses - Discipleship isn't easy. Jesus puts it this way, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." -Luke 9:23. We should never forget that suffering is a part of discipleship. It isn't merely about feel-good emotions and good times.
Disciples spend time with Jesus in prayer - If we do what Jesus did, then we need to live in intimate relationship with God. "He was praying in a certain place, and when he ceased, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” -Luke 11:1
Disciples love and serve God (and others) - Think of the many times the disciples were called to serve. Jesus commands his 12 to be the ones to serve the crowds at the breaking of the loaves and fishes, to heal the sick, to drive out demons, etc. The life of a disciple isn't about you!
Disciples make other disciples - Ultimately, we need to do what Jesus did, which means to "make disciples". This was his final command and the one we cannot avoid personally.
The life of a disciple can be a challenge and one that we all need to grow in. How can you better follow our Lord today?
Source: https://catholicmissionarydisciples.com/news/marks-of-discipleship
Wisdom of Discipleship | By His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
The Calling of the Disciples | Bishop Robert Barron
“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.”
-Mt 28:19
The 12 Apostles represent the 12 Tribes of Israel
The 12 Apostles represent the 12 Tribes of Israel
They formed the new family of God, a new community of believers.
The Meaning Behind the Names of the 12 Apostles
The Meaning Behind the Names of the 12 Apostles
The Catechism tells us, “God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.”
CCC 2158
Written By Winifred Corrigan
Names matter. For the Catholic Christian, who sees all of reality as replete with meaning, all the more so!
The Catechism tells us, “God calls each one by name. Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it” (CCC 2158).
While postmodern existence would seek to rob us of this awareness of rich meaning all around us, it can be helpful to look back and be reminded of what men believed in times past. Often, these beliefs were anything but primitive superstition. They filled human experience with beauty, color, dimension, mystery… in short, with love.
The Bible is incredibly dense and layered with meaning, even on details which might seem superficial to the modern reader. We fail to grasp the awesomeness of what we don’t even know we don’t know! One such fascinating area of study is the names of people (called Onomastics) and places (known as Toponymy or toponomastics) in both the Old and New Testaments. Anthroponomastics is the study of personal names.¹
Below, we present an infographic on the names of the 12 Apostles for your personal use, for instruction in your CCD class, Youth Group, Bible Study or wherever it may be helpful! (You can find other great resources, including more wonderful infographics like this, in the Catholic-Link Library).
Source: https://catholic-link.org/meaning-behind-names-12-apostles/
Some Songs about the Twelve:
Some Songs about the Twelve:
12 Disciples Song
Jesus Called Them One by One (1)
Jesus Called Them One by One (2)
There Were 12 Disciples (rowdy version)
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