First reading Ephesians 2:19-22
In Christ you are no longer aliens, but citizens like us
You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm 18(19):2-5
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Gospel Luke 6:12-19
Jesus chooses his twelve apostles
Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.
He then came down with them and stopped at a piece of level ground where there was a large gathering of his disciples with a great crowd of people from all parts of Judaea and from Jerusalem and from the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon who had come to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. People tormented by unclean spirits were also cured, and everyone in the crowd was trying to touch him because power came out of him that cured them all.
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Ordinary People, Extraordinary Mission
Jesus chose twelve ordinary individuals, each with their own strengths and limitations, to be His apostles. When we look at the list of these apostles, none would be considered great or important by the world’s standards. In fact, they were very ordinary men, yet Jesus sent them on an extraordinary mission. Because they trusted in Him, they chose to follow.
This is wonderful news for us! Jesus calls each one of us—imperfect as we may be—to be His friends. Like the apostles, we have the choice to respond generously to His call. We can make excuses such as, “I have no time,” “I am not qualified,” “I am too old,” or “I am too young.” Alternatively, we can be bold and pray with open hands, “Take me, Lord, and use me for Your glory.” Today, as we celebrate the feast of St Simon and St Jude, let us allow Jesus to use our ordinary lives for His extraordinary mission.
Reflective Question:
Am I open to collaborating with God in the mission to share His love with those around me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
