Gospel LK 6:12-16
Jesus went up 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.
Reflection:
“Jesus went up 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:”
Clearly, there is a distinction between being a disciple and an apostle.
A disciple is a learner, a student, a follower of Christ who absorbs His every word.
An apostle is a “disciple” who has been chosen and appointed by Christ to be “sent out” into the world to proclaim the gospel through word and deed.
Understandably, Jesus wanted to seek guidance from His Father. So, He went “up to the mountain” to be alone while He prayed.
Jesus chose twelve men, a number representative of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Those chosen were a diverse group.
Among them was Matthew, a tax collector for the Romans; someone who would have been a puppet of the enemy and scorned by any loyal Israelite.
Another was Simon, the Zealot. The Zealots were a group who believed in the re-establishment of the army of Israel in order to drive the Romans from their land.
Under any other circumstances, these two men would have been enemies. Yet, they put aside their differences because of their belief in Jesus Christ.
Today, Christians from all walks of life gather in their parishes, churches and ministries. Men and women of different ethnic and political persuasions continue to “put aside their differences,” to worship and live out Jesus’ gospel message to “love on another.”
        “You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.”                                                                                                                                    – – Indira Gandhi