How beautiful that Jesus spent the night in prayer to God the night before He called His Twelve Apostles? I can just picture this prayer time to be extremely intimate, just Him and His Dad, pouring over names and personalities and laughing about potential mishaps and learning opportunities. I see them addressing the possibility of betrayal and disloyalty. I hear Dad giving Him some ministry advice and encouragement, as He is about to become the center of attention among the masses including those that will have it out for Him. I see them dreaming about miracles and healings and saved souls and signs and wonders. Perhaps Jesus had some trepidation and Dad said, “You got this, Son. I am with You always.” I just love that Jesus teaches us to start everything in prayer to God. Then there is the naming of each Apostle, including Judas, who became a traitor. This forever label stung my heart and made me think of the comma after my own name: Jennifer, who became a _________. There are so many words I’d love to insert there, but again it comes down to what word Jesus would put there. Yesterday, when I asked Jesus my daily question, “Jesus, who do you say that I am?” He responded in these exact words, “My friend, like a really close friend, like my BEST friend.” I’ll take that. Jennifer, who became a friend, like a really close friend, like a best friend to Jesus.
Once all the guys said yes to their call, He went and stood with them on level ground. God wants us with Him as He heals the sick, cures diseases, raises the dead, and spreads peace. With His Apostles at His side, Jesus began operating in signs and wonders, which was the love language of His Father. His Apostles were in school from that moment on and they would eventually take over the ministry at Pentecost. Guess what? We are ALL called to be Apostles and so the very same ministry started in today’s gospel with Jesus and His apprentices/best friends has been handed down to us, through our Baptism and fortified by our receiving the Holy Spirit!!! Our names get to go on the list!
Finally, it says that, “Everyone in the crows sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.” The power of His presence healed them all. The power of His presence stirred their hearts to reach out to Him for healing. His presence is so abundantly available to us right here and now. He is currently before us on level ground, working in the love language of His Father, saving us, healing us, and leading us toward the freedom that He has already won for us. Our call today, as named Apostles, is to seek Him, to touch Him, and to carry on the work He began. It is well with my soul.
Reading 1 COL 2:6-15
Brothers and sisters:
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.
For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
and you share in this fullness in him,
who is the head of every principality and power.
In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand,
by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead in transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.
For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
and you share in this fullness in him,
who is the head of every principality and power.
In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand,
by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead in transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.
Responsorial Psalm PS 145:1B-2, 8-9, 10-11
R.(9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Alleluia SEE JN 15:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel LK 6:12-19
Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him
because power came forth from him and healed them all.
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