The word disciple comes from a Greek word meaning pupil or student, to be a disciple of Jesus we are dedicating ourselves to the teaching of Christ, and dedicating ourselves to be lifelong apprentices to Jesus. As disciples, we have a relationship with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Christians believe that as disciples we follow Jesus, follow him where he calls and how he calls us to be.
Christians believe that as we have a relationship with Jesus, we are changed and formed by his love for us.
Christians believe that as disciples we commit ourselves to the mission of Jesus, God's purposes for his creation.
To be a disciple is to live out an identity in Christ Jesus (meaning, through belief in him). It is through always looking to Jesus' example, of trying to imitate Christ, the perfect model of humanity, that we can be confident in who God created us to be.We confess our faith, see that Jesus is Lord and our Saviour. It is natural, the call to discipleship, to respond to his great love for us, with love for him. Discipleship, following Jesus, is an open invitation to anyone willing to respond to Christ's love for them.
The desire to tell others about the Christian faith is one way that disciples live out their calling. By fulfilling the Great Commission: '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', (Matthew 28:19-20), disciples intentionally look to encourage others to be disciples.Telling others about faith in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to share the gospel, the good news, with others: we witness to Christ.
Disciples live out their calling through serving others with acts of love and mercy. The Blessed Virgin Mary was a perfect disciple of Christ. Our Blessed Mother Mary responded to God's calling with complete trust and faith. Through her, the Word became flesh (John 1:14); Jesus was one with humanity, he became one of us yet still wholly divine. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are inspired by his love and his loving sacrifice for us.Listen: We will say more, here, soon. Please be patient. We will break all this down a little, explain things, add some links and some pictures, so if all this talk of Jesus comes as a shock, now, please don't worry, please stick around, or find a member of the church to chat with. Our faith is precious to us and it is never a bad time to talk about Jesus. Fr David