Tag: <span>Apostles</span>

May 3, 2021April 20, 2021

Proclamation

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

In a way, the readings of today, on the Feast of St. Philip and James, reach their climax in the psalm.

In today’s gospel, Philip’s horizons are broadened–he asks to see the Father, and Jesus explains His own relationship with the Father. But then He goes on to explain the action of the Father, and of the Son. As the Son proclaims the Kingdom of God, it is the Father in Him doing His works. But then He explains to Philip that His disciples will do even greater works, as He returns to the Father–and that whatever they ask in His name will be done. Philip receives the unexpected explanation that He will extend Jesus’ mission, in a glorious way.

In the first reading, which takes place chronologically after the Gospel passage, we hear how Jesus appeared to the Apostles–and James is mentioned by name. So, Jesus not only empowers His disciples to do greater things than He has done; He also reveals His glorious, resurrected self to them. He empowers them; He reveals Himself to them.

It is in the psalm that we discover what Jesus preparation of His disciples leads to. “Their message goes out to all the earth.” “Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message.”

This is what we celebrate on today’s feast: That the effect of the empowering of the disciples, and the revelation of the glorious resurrected Christ, is the evangelization of the world. St. Philip and St. James, along with the other Apostles, are the very embodiment of this evangelizing mission.

If Jesus is empowering us and revealing Himself to us in our Christian life, especially our prayer life, He is doing so to equip us to aid Him in the massive and worthy task of the evangelization and salvation of humanity.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Tell Jesus that you don’t want to keep Him all to yourself. Tell Him that you accept His request to focus all the energy of your love on union with God, and also on the evangelization and salvation of your fellow humans. Tell Him that you understand that your spiritual path ultimately leads necessarily to service, and ask Him to help you remain faithful to that call.

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January 17, 2021January 7, 2021

Call

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Today’s first reading, psalm, and gospel almost could not be more on theme with one another. The theme: God calls, and man follows.

For both Samuel in the first reading and the apostles in the gospel, the caller was unfamiliar to them. The first reading explicitly states that Samuel was unfamiliar with the Lord, and the first exposure to Jesus of the apostles-to-be in the gospel is John the Baptist pointing Him out to them.

This unfamiliarity puts in relief an important point: The call was gratuitous. None of the recipients of the call in these readings had done anything to deserve it. It simply came to them. And then, they had the sense to follow.

God Himself is the great Initiator throughout salvation history. Sometimes, he works through intermediaries, like Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. But in all cases, it is His grace that moves the human heart to resonate with the message, hear a concrete call, and say “yes.”

What can we do for this world, that is so distant from God, to draw persons nearer to Him? Firstly, by listening daily and following our own call from Him, we lend ourselves to Him as instruments, to use us in the manner that He chooses, giving Him permission for limitless creativity to use us as intermediaries. But also, we must ask God to call more souls more insistently, and unmistakably. He doesn’t speak softly to increase the odds of souls missing His call, but rather, out of respect for the soul’s freedom to choose. But with our prayers, we can ask Him to knock more compellingly at the doors of more souls, that they may hear and grant Him entry.

And He will answer our prayer.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Renew with all your heart your gift of self to Christ, and ask Him to help you hear His call each day. Also, tell Him that you lean on Him as THE protagonist of evangelization and conversion. Ask Him to act in the most compelling way in the heart of persons throughout our world.

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October 28, 2020October 7, 2020

Essential Stones

This is a reflection on the Mass readings of the day.

Today, the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, is all about the apostles.

Working backward from the Gospel passage, the message is something like this: 1) (Gospel) Jesus personally called each of the twelve apostles; 2) (Psalm) As a result of the apostles fulfilling their mission, the message of the Gospel went out to all the earth; and 3) (First reading) As such, the apostles form the foundation of the “building” which is the Church; Jesus Himself is the capstone that holds everything together, and each of us is an essential “stone” in the building.

When they were called, the apostles–later the foundation of the Church itself, bringing Christ’s message to the ends of the earth–were ordinary people, just like us. Perhaps even more “ordinary”! Even once they had received their call and were walking with Jesus, they didn’t feel particularly extraordinary. in the end, it was the Holy Spirit Himself who ensured that their extraordinary mission was fulfilled.

So why are we so often trying to find a way to carry out an extraordinary mission ourselves? Why do we look outside our own personal vocation for what is extraordinary? All we need to do to ensure that the mission God has entrusted to us, which is critical since we are essential stones in the “building” of the Church, is to do what the apostles did: Stay connected to Jesus. It is He who will send us the Holy Spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit who will ensure that our mission, which is far above our own abilities, is fulfilled.

Ideas for conversation with the Lord: Talk to Jesus about your personal mission within His Church. “Read it back to Him” in your own words, and ask Him to enlighten you if your read of it needs some correction or education. Then, entrust that mission to Him. Ask Him to send His Holy Spirit in power to ensure that you drink the chalice entrusted to you to the last drop, and that your mission for the salvation of your fellow humans is fulfilled.

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