Blog Post #7: Discipleship

Blog Post #7: Discipleship

A Written Response By Lily Jeffs

1. What did you learn about the original disciples from the group projects?

When reflecting on the Discipleship group project, I learned many different things about the original disciples and the relations they had with Jesus. Specifically, I learned that Peter was the brother of Andrew, was the first disciple Jesus had called to follow him, he was originally a Galilean fisherman, he became a disciple when Jesus called to him whilst he was fishing, he was notable for being the main speaker of the Pentatox, he died after being bounded in chains, and his remains are buried underneath Saint Peter's Basilica. James the Greater was another of Jesus' disciples and was the son of Zebedee, he was originally a fisherman, he became a disciple when he was fishing and Jesus filled his nets with fish after not being able to catch any, he is notable for being one of only 3 people to be called by Jesus, he died when he was executed by a sword, and his remains are buried in the Cathedral of Santiago. James the Lesser was the son of the Virgin of Mary, he was the first Bishop of Jerusalem, he became a disciple as a result of the close relation his mother had with Jesus, he was notable for being the author of the 1st Catholic Epistle, he died after being beaten and stoned by prosecutors, and his remains are buried in Santi Apostoli. John wrote his own gospel, he was the longest living apostle, he was a fisherman, he became Jesus' disciple after being related to him in some way, he was known as the beloved disciple, he passed away peacefully in 100 A.D, and his remains are buried in Ephesus, Turkey. Andrew was the first apostle to follow Jesus, he was a fisherman, he became a disciple when Jesus told him and another worker whilst they was fishing to be "Fishers of men," he passed away when he was crucified similarly to Jesus but in an x - shaped cross, and his remains are buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Istanbul, Turkey. Batholowmew/Nathanael was the 12th apostle of Jesus, he was a missionary, he became an apostle after he was introduced to Jesus by Saint Philip, he was a missionary in Armenia and India, he died when he was skinned to death and martyred in Armenia, and his remains are buried in the Basilica of San Bartholomew, the Frankfurt Cathedral, and the Canterbury Cathedral. Judas originally worked for his father before becoming Jesus' treasurer, he became Jesus' apostle because he worked for him, he is known for betraying Jesus, he died after he hung himself for turning Jesus in and in return, received 30 pieces of silver, and his remains are found in Palatinate, Germany. Matthias always cared for Jesus, he studied the Law of God in university, he was able to replace Judas as Jesus' 12 apostle after meeting the needed requirements to do so, he was martyred, and his remains are buried in Potter's Field, Jerusalem. Jude was the saint and patron of hope and lost cause, he was a farmer before becoming a disciple, it was unknown of how he became a disciple because he wasn't written about in the Bible, he was known for writing books about his faith, he died when he was clubbed to death and martyred, and his remains are buried under Saint Peter's Basilica. Matthew was the son of Alpheus, his name was originally Levi, he was a tax collector before becoming one of Jesus' disciples, he became a disciple when Jesus noticed him as a tax collector and said to him, "Follow me," he was considered one of the 4 Gospel writers, he was murdered in Ethiopia, and his remains are buried in Salerno, Italy. Philip was born in Bethsaida, Galilee, He was originally a tradesman, he met Jesus many times and later became his disciple, he bought the bread for the people who Jesus later fed, he died when he was crucified upside down in Heliopolis, and his remains are buried in the Church of Apostles in Istanbul. Simon the Zealot was the "mystery apostle," his original profession was unknown, he became a disciple because he was attached to the apostles at a young age and was loyal to Jesus, he spread the word of God through Egypt, he died when he was crucified in England, and his remains are located in Saint Peter's Basilica. The last disciple I learned about was Thomas, in which he originally worked as a carpenter and stone mason, he became a disciple when he was chosen by Philip as a result of the immense devotion he had to Jesus, he was known as "Doubting Thomas" because he questioned Jesus' resurrection, he was martyred and speared to death in India, and his remains are buried int he Basilica of Saint Thomas. As someone who originally didn't know a lot about the 12 disciples, I learned a lot of things that I can use when I begin to learn more about the Catholic Church later on within the 2nd semester. To illustrate what I have learned, an image is shown below in which the 12 disciples are gathered around Jesus and are listening to him preaching and teaching them lessons relating to life and God that they are later going to spread to others.

("MMem 0134: Memorize the 12 Apostles with Mnemonics")

2. Which disciple did you find most interesting and why?

One particular disciple that I found the most interesting was Bartholomew. Rather than him following Jesus and spreading his message to others only within Israel, he also traveled to diverse countries such as Armenia and India to connect these far areas of the world with God. Furthermore, he allowed Christianity to spread and become a part of different cultures. Although he was skinned to death martyred in Armenia, his work allowed those living within countries outside of Israel to begin following Christianity. This has also contributed to Christianity having over 2 billion believers thousands of years later. As someone who is deeply connected to God, I admire Bartholomew for the work he as done to promote God's message to those who had no original knowledge of this religion. One image that illustrates this is shown below in which Saint Bartholomew is holding the Bible and a knife to signify that he is sacrificing his life across the world in the name of God and each other.

("Zephyrinus")

3. Based on what you learned, what are the characteristics of people who follow Jesus?

The characteristics of people who follow Jesus are that they are passionate about sharing his message, and are faithful and care for others. Specific disciples and followers of Christ such as Andrew, Bartholomew, and Peter sacrificed their lives whilst trying to promote Christianity to potential followers because of how deeply connected they were with him. They also taught many about who Jesus and God were and what importance they have in the world we live in. These characteristics of people who followed Jesus during his own life have had a large impact on the modern era. They have ultimately allowed for there to be a community found within the Christian Church of people who are available to speak with those that are upset or need assistance and want to find someone who is truly connected with Christ to do so. Within my own life, followers of Jesus allow me to feel supported my them when I am need of help, almost as if I was speaking to Jesus himself. One image that illustrates this is shown below in which Jesus is opening up is arms and welcoming anyone who wishes to become a follower of God, similarly to how his own followers introduce Christianity to others.

("Free Image on Pixabay - Christ, Happy New Year, Jesus") 

4. Do you feel that you display any of these characteristics (for example, standing up for something that you strongly believe in)? Why or why not?

The characteristics of being heavily devoted to Jesus and God and standing up for what you believe in that are expressed by followers of Jesus including the disciples can similarly be found within my own life. Specifically relating to the topic of sexism in sports, I become very upset when professional female athletes are not payed equally to men who participate in the same sport and don't receive the same amount of recognition. I also become upset when professional female athletes achieve more than men such as winning a big soccer tournament, yet they are still payed less compared to male athletes who at some times, can't even make it to the quarterfinals of a similar tournament. I am always looking more into how this problem can change in the near future and what I can do to help. Likewise, the works of the disciples who were later martyred for the passion and love that they had for Christ relate to my own experience. Although there are many males that disagree that women should be payed equally with men in not just athletics, but with any profession, I am always supporting those who are urging for equal pay that can potentially make a difference in both of our lives. To illustrate the relation I have with the followers and disciples of Jesus, an image is shown below in which a hand is pointed up that symbolizes the enthusiasm both myself and the disciples have towards something we care about which has continued to have a great impact on our lives.

("Free Image on Pixabay - Index Finger, Pointing, Pointer")

Works Cited

“Free Image on Pixabay - Index Finger, Pointing, Pointer.” Free Vector Graphic: Index Finger, 

               Pointing, Pointer - Free Image on Pixabay - 297766, pixabay.com/en/index-finger-pointing-

               pointer-point-297766/.

“Free Image on Pixabay - Christ, Happy New Year, Jesus.” Free Vector Graphic: Christ, Happy New 

              Year, Jesus - Free Image on Pixabay - 1294308, pixabay.com/en/christ-happy-new-year-

              jesus-1294308/.

Zephyrinus. “Zephyrinus.” Saint Bartholomew. Apostle. Feast Day, Today, 24 August., 1 Jan. 1970, 

              zephyrinus-zephyrinus.blogspot.com/2016/08/saint-bartholomew-apostle-feast-day.html.

“MMem 0134: Memorize the 12 Apostles with Mnemonics.” Master of Memory: Accelerated 

              Learning, Education, Memorization, masterofmemory.com/mmem-0134-memorize-the-12-

              apostles-with-mnemonics/.