RELIGIOUS STUDIES
1. MARY, MODEL OF FAITHFUL
DISCIPLE AND WITNESS
 She was the first evangelizer and
the first disciple of her own Son,
Savior and Lord, Jesus the Christ.
 She gave the first Gospel testimony
to her cousin, Elizabeth, without
words.
 There are very few records of Mary's
explicit words in the texts of the
New Testament of the Bible.
 She always encountered God - in
profound ways - from the beginning
to the end of her life. In every
encounter, she surrendered to love
and was changed.
 Mary was there at the Incarnation,
Birth, Crucifixion, and
Resurrection of the One whom
Christians proclaim is God Incarnate,
Jesus Christ.
 She was there throughout what are
often called the "hidden years" in His
life at Nazareth where ordinary work
was ennobled and childrearing
forever changed because of His
participation.
 His disciples spent three years with
Him, during His "public ministry,"
but Mary spent thirty three years.
 Mary did, as His mother and first
disciple. His mission continues now
through His Body, the Church.
 His redemptive presence forever
changed the history of the world and
can do so in our own personal
histories if we learn how to surrender
to His invitation to love and choose
to live as she did.
2. Church as a Community of Disciples
Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father
anointed with the Holy Spirit and
established as priest, prophet, and king.
The People of God participates in these
three offices of Christ and bears the
responsibilities for mission and service
that flow from them.
THE CHURCH –
 PEOPLE OF GOD,
 BODY OF CHRIST,
 TEMPLE OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT
Christ "is the head of the body, the Church." He
is the principle of creation and redemption.
The Church is the Bride of Christ
 Three Encouragements
 There is an invitation - We are
amongst those who Jesus has
invited to a great feast – the
wedding feast of the Lamb. All
are invited – including those for
whom the world has no time.
 There is security - For those
who are truly born again into
God’s kingdom there is eternal
security. If you are God’s child
you are safe in His hands.
 There are rewards - Given that
we are totally secure in
him, there are opportunities for
reward. The fact is that all
believers will take part in a
judgement at the end of time not
to determine their entrance into
heaven but their reward based on
the quality or their service for
him in this life.
 RELIGIOUS STUDIES
 Three Challenges

 The Challenge to put Jesus

first - To be a disciple of Jesus,
everything that is held dear to us,
family, friends, even our own
lives, comes behind Jesus in
order of our priority and
commitment.

 The Challenge to Carry Our

Cross - To be a disciple of Jesus
means that we constantly die to
our own wishes, desires and
ambitions

 The Challenge to give up

everything - When we become
Christians everything we have
belongs to Jesus. We therefore
have no possessions and no
rights.
 Three Pictures

 The Man building the Tower -

We need to regularly count the
cost of being a disciple to make
sure that we are willing and able
to pay it.

 The King Going to War -

Similarly a king who goes to war
needs to do his “homework” first
to see if he is able to win.
 The Salt with No Flavor - Jesus
concludes this passage with a
parable of salt that has lost the
very properties that make it of
use.