RECAP
• What does the word disciple
mean?
• How is apostle different ?
Watch the video again. Write down the
names of the disciples that Jesus chooses.
Can you think of a mnemonic to help you
remember all 12 names?
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
Which disciple would you like to
know more about and why ?
Homework
Research one disciple.
Write up 2 paragraphs:
About who they were
What they said/ did with Jesus
PAIR Activity
• In pairs, split the apostles so you have 6 each
• For each apostle write down a summary of the
information about them.
• Go around the room completing your table for your 3
• Copy up the other info from your partner.
***Think of a mnemonic – a
way of remembering the names
of the 12 apostles.
BB artholomew
AA ndrew Finish your
PPx2
eter, P hilip
page
TTx2
homas, T title
haddeus
JJ x4
ohn, J ames, J ames, J udas
SS imon
MM atthew
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Quiz
Which disciples were fishermen?
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?
6. Who doubted Jesus had really risen from the dead?
7. Who was described by Jesus as “without deceit” ?
8. Whose name means “the rock” and was made leader of
the Apostles?
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?
St. Peter
Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen. Jesus
saw them by their boats, and said to them “Follow
Me, and I will make you fishers of men”.
• Jesus made St Peter leader of the apostles.
His apostolic symbol is a
cross upside down with • Peter’s name means “rock” in Aramaic. Jesus said
to him “On this “rock” I will build my Church”.
crossed keys. The keys
represent Peter as holder
of the keys to the
• Peter was part of Jesus' inner circle, together with
Kingdom of Heaven.
James and John and witnessed the transfiguration
and Jesus’ agony in the garden. He walked on
water, denied Jesus three times after Jesus’ arrest,
and was the first to preach at Pentecost
• Peter is said to have been crucified under Emperor
Nero, the cross being upside down at his own
request since he saw himself unworthy to be
crucified in the same way as Jesus Christ. His
remains are in the tomb under St Peter’s Basilica in
Rome.
St. Andrew
Since he was crucified
on an X-shaped cross
(which is called "Saint
Andrew's cross) it is one
of his symbols. A symbol
of two crossed fish has
also been applied to
Andrew, because he
was formerly a
fisherman.
Andrew was a brother of the
apostle Peter.
He was a follower of John the
Baptist, before he met Jesus.
He was mending his nets with his
brother Peter. Jesus saw them
both and said to them “follow
me”.
Andrew immediately recognized
Jesus as the Messiah. He was
later chosen by Jesus to be one of
His Twelve Apostles.
Andrew was present at all the
important moments of Jesus’ life.
St. James , son of
Zebedee
His symbol is three
shells, the sign of his
pilgrimage by the
sea.
James was the brother of John,
both were fishermen and sons of
Zebedee, also called “the sons of
thunder”, possibly because of their
strong temper.
Together with Peter, James and John
were the only 3 disciples who saw
Jesus transfigured, and were
closest to him in the Garden of
Gethsemane, during his agony in
the garden.
St. John, son of Zebedee
John, like his brother James, was a
fisherman when Jesus saw them, and
said to them “Follow me”.
John was one of Jesus’ inner circle of three
disciples who witnessed Jesus’
transfiguration and his agony in the
garden before his arrest and crucifixion.
John was very close to Jesus, and called
It is said that an attempt
himself “the beloved disciple”. He was
was made on John’s life
the one leaning on Jesus breast at the
Last Supper.
by giving him a chalice
of poison, but he
survived.
Jesus asked John to look after his mother
A chalice with a snake
in it is his symbol.
Mary when He was dying on the cross,
After Mary was taken up into heaven
John lived to a very old age and died
peacefully.
St. Philip
Philip was from the same town as Peter
and Andrew.
He was called by Jesus Himself. Philip
then brought Bartholomew to Christ.
The symbol of Philip
is a basket, because
of his part in the
feeding of the five
thousand.
It was Philip who
popularised the
cross as a sign of
Christianity and
victory.
Philip was present at the miracle of the
loaves and fishes. 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.
Philip was a link for Greek speaking,
open-minded Jews who wanted to
know more about Jesus. They would
approach Philip for an introduction
to Jesus.
St. Bartholomew
Also known as Nathaniel.
He was brought to Jesus by Philip.
Jesus praised him, saying “here is a
man incapable of deceit”.
Because he was
flayed alive with
knives his
apostolic symbol
is three parallel
knives.
He died a violent death for
converting the King of Armenia’s
brother to belief in Jesus.
His skin was removed (=flayed
alive), and then he was crucified,
head downward.
St. Matthew
The apostolic symbol
of Matthew is three
money bags which
remind us that he was
a tax collector before
Jesus called him.
Matthew collected taxes from the
Jewish people. He was very
unpopular. Jesus saw him sitting in
the customs house, and called him
to follow him.
After his call, Matthew invited Jesus
and his tax-collector friends home
for a feast. On seeing this, the
Scribes and the Pharisees criticized
Jesus for eating with tax collectors
and sinners. Jesus answered “I
came not to call good people, but
sinners”
St. Thomas
He was killed with a
spear for his Lord.
His symbol is a
group of spears,
stones and arrows.
St. Thomas, also called “Doubting
Thomas” is remembered for his
disbelieving that Jesus rose from
the dead. He insisted that unless he
could see and touch Christ's
wounds, he would not believe.
Jesus appeared to him and showed
him his wounds and told him to feel
them.
St Thomas exclaimed “My Lord and
My God”, and believed. Jesus
answered: “happy are those who
have not seen, and yet believe”.
St. Simon
His symbol is a fish on
a bible, because he
used to be a
fisherman, but
through his
preaching, became a
“fisher of men”
St Simon is also called
“Simon the zealot”
because of his
enthusiasm for
keeping God’s law.
His is sometimes shown
with a saw, as it is
said he was put to
death by sawing.
St. Jude, or Thaddeus
Jude, also known as Thaddeus,
used to be a fisherman before
Jesus called him.
The chosen symbol for
Jude is the ship because
he was a missionary and
used to be a fisherman.
He is the patron saint of
desperate situations because
he wrote a letter which is in the
New Testament (The Letter of
Jude), where he tells us to keep
going, even when things are
very difficult, and never lose
hope.
St. James the Lesser
He was crucified in
Egypt, where he was
preaching the gospel.
Another James, not
related to James and
John sons of Zebedee.
He may have been a tax
collector. He is rarely
mentioned in the
gospels. He witnessed
the resurrected Jesus.
Judas Iscariot
He was one of the twelve apostles.
His role was to look after the
money of the disciples and buy
provisions when needed. He is
infamous for betraying 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.