BECOMING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS
THROUGH
MY SERVICE TO OTHERS
Jesus said… “Love one another!”
But what does this
mean to me?
Who am I supposed to love and
how do I show it? He reminded us that the
Great Commandment is to love God with all of our hearts, love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How do I put this into practice? Each Catholic Christian has been given many gifts from God and it is important to learn what those gifts are and how to share them as a disciple of Jesus in this world. Yes, each one of us is a follower of Jesus, just as those who followed him when he was here over 2000 years ago. To be a follower of Jesus means that we are all on a mission to tell the whole world about the Good News. When you become Confirmed you take on Jesus command to go out and make disciples of others. He gave us the Church to help us do this.
What does it take to become a follower or disciple of Jesus today in the 21
st Century? Well, it means that you decide that you will take on some special ways of living: praying daily, attending Sunday Mass, studying your faith with others in class and asking questions, thinking about what it takes to follow Jesus and discovering how He lived by reading about his life story. It also means being active in the life of your parish by serving others. In doing this you will discover what wonderful gifts God has given you and realize that the best thing about the Good News is that God loves very much. You will want to share this with others and you can do this by being of service to your family, your parish, and your community. This booklet will help you discover who you can become and bringing God’s love to others.
BECOMING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS
ALL STUDENTS WHO ARE IN GRADES 6,7, AND 8 ARE REQUIRED TO FULFILL CHRISTIAN SERVICE DURING THE YEAR. THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE IN FOUR AREAS:
- IN WHAT WE BELIEVE: This requirement is fulfilled by attending Religious Education classes faithfully and by learning about the Scriptures and our rich Catholic tradition. It means searching for answers to grow into the best Catholics through understanding what our Church holds to be true.
- IN HOW WE WORSHIP: The attendance at Sunday Mass and Holy Days is important if you are to grow in your relationship with Jesus. You should do your best to attend Mass every Sunday. It is also important that you actively participate in the Family Masses that are offered for your grade through the year. When the opportunity arises, offer to become a greeter, a reader, a gift bearer, and bulletin usher. You can also volunteer to become an altar server in 6th grade. This is your Church family and you are wanted to take part in I.C.’s faith life.
- IN HOW WE LIVE: As followers/disciples of Jesus we are to follow His example in loving and caring for others. The Church provides us with a pathway to do this by giving us a list of ways that we can serve others both physically and spiritually. We call that pathway the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. A complete list and ways of living this way is in this booklet. Read through it and learn what you can do to grow as a disciple of Jesus who is our model of love and mercy. Join with your classmates when projects such as Blessing Bags, Feed My Starving Children and others are happening.
- IN HOW WE PRAY: In your Religion classes you will be given the opportunity every week to pray together with your friends and for your friends and families. You will hear the Gospel for the next week’s Sunday Mass so that you can be familiar with the readings before you get to Church. You will learn the important prayers of the Church that have been passed down to us to ask God to bless us and the world around us. Memorized prayers and prayers we speak from our hearts to the Heart of God give comfort to others and ourselves. Jesus asked us to pray always. There are many devotions that are offered throughout the year such a saying the Rosary, Taize prayer services, and the Stations of the Cross.
DISCIPLESHIP SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
- GRADE 6: Complete a minimum of 8 acts of service using the Works of Mercy as guidelines. Complete the reflection sheet on how this activity helped you to grow to be more like Jesus. The tally sheet should be signed by a parent at each entry.
- GRADE 7: Complete a minimum of 12 acts of service using the Works of Mercy as guidelines. Complete the reflection sheet on how this activity helped you to grow to be more like Jesus. The tally sheet should be signed by a parent at each entry.
- GRADE 8: Complete a minimum of 16 acts of service using the Works of Mercy as guidelines. Complete the reflection sheet on how this activity helped you to grow to be more like Jesus and has helped you prepared for Confirmation. The tally sheet should be signed by a parent at each entry.
SOME ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- All booklets are to be kept by the student in their folders.
- Tally sheets are toa be filled our completely.
- Booklets will be collected twice a year. Once at the end of the first semester in December, and in April of the second semester.
- Teachers and catechists may check on t he booklets during the school year to check o n progress.
If you have any questions regarding Service Hour requirements, please contact:
Josephine Bastianoni
Junior High Director of Religious Education
(630) 530-5262 email: [email protected]
IN A WORLD
WHERE YOU CAN
BE ANYTHING,
BE KIND.
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