1.

What is the difference between a disciple and an apostle?

2.

What sort of people did Jesus choose & why?

Watch the video. Write down the names of the disciples that Jesus chooses. Can you think of a mnemonic to help you remember all 12 names?

B A P x2 T x2 J x4 S M

Who Were the Apostles ?

• • • To describe in brief the characters of the 12 disciples To understand that the disciples had faults and failings To explain why Jesus chose such ordinary people Homework Research one disciple. Write 2 paragraphs: - Background info about them - Describe a scene they were present at with Jesus & what they said/ did in that scene.

PAIR Activity

• • • In groups of 4, split the apostles so you have 3 each to find out about Read the info, and summarise it on your table. Copy up the other info from your partner.

***Think of a mnemonic – a way of remembering the names of the 12 apostles.

B artholomew A ndrew S imon M atthew

Finish your

P eter, P hilip

title page

J ohn, J ames, J ames, J udas

Quiz 1.

2.

Which disciples were fishermen?

Whose name means “the rock” and was made leader of the Apostles?

3.

4.

5.

6.

Name 2 sets of brothers Who was a tax collector when Jesus called him?

Which disciple brought another to Jesus?

Which “beloved” disciple was asked by Jesus to look after his mother?

7.

8.

Who doubted Jesus had really risen from the dead?

Who was described by Jesus as “without deceit” ?

9.

Who was enthusiastic about keeping the Jewish law?

10.

Whose symbol is a basket?

11.

Who was crucified upside down?

12.

Who is the Patron Saint of hopeless causes?

His symbol is are crossed keys because as the first Pope, he holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

St. Peter

Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. Jesus called to them “Follow Me”. • Jesus made St Peter leader of the apostles, so he is known as “The First Pope” • Peter’s name means “rock”. Jesus told him “On this “rock” I will build my Church”. • Peter was present at all the important moments of Jesus’ life.

• Peter was the first to preach about Jesus’ resurrection after Pentecost • He was crucified upside down. He is buried under St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

St. Andrew

Andrew was the brother of Peter. He was a follower of John the Baptist, before he met Jesus. The X-shaped cross is Saint Andrew's symbols. He was mending his nets with his brother Peter. Jesus saw them both and said to them “follow me”. Andrew was present at many important moments of Jesus’ life.

He was crucified on an X shaped cross.

His symbol is three shells, the sign of his missionary journeys by the sea.

St. James , son of Zebedee

James was a fisherman, the brother of John (sons of Zebedee), also called “the sons of thunder”, because of their strong temper.

Together with Peter, James and John he was one of only 3 disciples who saw Jesus at the transfiguration and at the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

St. John, son of Zebedee

John, like his brother James, was a fisherman when Jesus called him “Follow me”. John was very close to Jesus, and called “the beloved disciple”. It is said that an attempt was made on John’s life by giving him a chalice of poison, but he survived. A chalice with a snake in it is his symbol.

He was the one leaning on Jesus breast at the Last Supper. He also witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration and his agony in the garden before his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus asked John to look after his mother Mary when He was dying on the cross.

John lived to a very old age and died peacefully.

St. Philip

Philip was from the same town as Peter and Andrew. He could speak Greek. Philip was present at the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The symbol of Philip is a basket, because of his part in the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus tested him, asking how He would feed 5000 people with only 2 loaves and 5 fishes. Several of his conversations with Jesus are written in the gospels.

St. Bartholomew

His friend Philip brought Bartholomew to Jesus. Because he was flayed alive with knives , his apostolic symbol is three parallel knives. When Jesus saw him, he praised him, saying “here is a man who never tells a lie”.

He died by having his skin removed (=flayed alive), and then he was crucified, head downward.

St. Matthew

Matthew was a tax collector, when Jesus saw him and called him to “follow me”.

The symbol of Matthew is three money bags which remind us that he was a tax collector before Jesus called him.

St. Thomas

St. Thomas, also called “Doubting Thomas” didn’t believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. He was killed with a spear When Jesus appeared to him and showed him his wounds he exclaimed “My Lord and My God”, now believing Jesus is the Lord. Jesus answered: “happy are those who have not seen, and yet believe”.

St. Simon His symbol is a fish on a bible

St Simon is also called “the zealot” because of his enthusiasm for keeping God’s law.

His is sometimes shown with a saw, he was put to death by being sawn in half.

St. Thaddeus, or Jude

Thaddeus, also known as Jude, was a fisherman before Jesus called him.

His symbol is the ship because he was a missionary and a fisherman. He is the patron saint of desperate situations because in a letter in the New Testament (The Letter of Jude), he tells us never to lose hope, even when things are very difficult.

St. James the Lesser

Another James, not related to James and John sons of Zebedee. He may have been a tax collector. He witnessed the resurrected Jesus, but otherwise is not mentioned much in the gospels. He was crucified in Egypt, where he was preaching the gospel.

Judas Iscariot

His role was to look after the money of the disciples and buy provisions when needed. He betrayed Jesus to the chief priests, for 30 pieces of silver. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss, in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus said of him at the Last Supper “better for that man if he had never been born”. He later hanged himself .