Explore Everyday Disciple The Gospels tell us about many people who followed Jesus. We too are called to be disciples of Jesus. Like the disciples in the Gospels, we realize that following Jesus is not always easy. We may experience worries and fears and question ourselves, others, and God. How can we be doers of the Word and practice our faith? How do we experience Jesus in our daily lives? In Jesus’ time the disciples traveled, spoke, and set examples. They actively and passionately practiced their faith.
The decisions you make every day and the actions that become habits shape your faith over time. Think how you interact with people you meet. Opportunities to practice your faith are everywhere. Your chances to be an everyday disciple may not be obvious, but they are there if you are alert and watch for them.
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Write what you would do to practice your faith in each scene that follows.
School The math teacher just announced he is giving a surprise quiz. The boy next to you is on the yearbook staff. You know that he has been struggling in math, and his parents told him that if he does not improve, he has to quit the staff. During the test he tries to copy from your paper. What do you do?
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You are called to do the same. To be a disciple means to be bold and to have trust that God is with you. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you find the courage to do good deeds, such as sharing a kind word with someone you might not normally speak with, lending a hand without expecting a thank-you, or beginning each day in prayer asking Jesus to guide you. Each time your thoughts, words, and actions reflect Jesus’ teaching, you are a disciple because you are actively engaging your faith and experiencing Jesus in your life. Just as a musician or athlete practices to play better, the more you practice your faith, the stronger it becomes.
Practice Your Faith
Grocery Store A mother is pushing a cart full of groceries with a baby in the infant seat and two toddlers walking alongside her. As she opens the refrigerated dairy door and pulls out a gallon of milk, she knocks another carton down. It explodes on the ground. What do you do?
Library A group of students is finishing a project. They discuss taking a break outside. One girl sits quietly and continues her work. The others gather their belongings and leave without saying good-bye. The girl is alone and upset at being excluded. What do you do?
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d mea ns “cou nte Ordi na ry Ti me grow to us for e time.” It’s a tim p. in d iscipleshi live are ca lled to we As di sciples out ou r faith. Session 5 > Celebrating Ordinary Time
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Take It Hom e i_3671_SE_G7_U1.indd
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Have volunteers take turns reading aloud the section Everyday Disciple. Say: Every action we take and every thought we have are opportunities to grow in faith and make God’s presence visible in the world. Read aloud the directions and have young people complete the Practice Your Faith activity independently. Encourage them to extend their answers on another sheet of paper, if necessary. Then organize young people into three groups. Ask each group to choose one scene and one response. Have groups develop a skit to show how they would practice their faith through action. Invite groups to perform their skits. After each skit, ask: What effect might the positive actions have on others? (Answers will vary.) Say: Living out your faith in public can have positive effects on people long after the initial experience.
LoyolaPress.
Discipleship Personal Narrative Invite each young person to write a personal narrative that tells PDF Signoff: Production _______ Design _______ Editorial _______ about a time when he or she was an “everyday disciple.” Narratives should tell about everyday events, meaning “ordinary,” that offer opportunities to follow Jesus’ footsteps every day, meaning “at least once in a 24-hour period.” Encourage them to add dialogue and illustrations to their narratives. Make a bulletin board with a title “Everyday Disciples,” and display their work.
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Organize young people into pairs. Ask each pair to discuss the following questions: ▶▶ Whom
do you know who is the best example of a disciple of Jesus?
▶▶ Why
did you choose this person?
Encourage young people to think about this person as they continue Session 5.
Unit 1 • Session 5
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