Gospel: Luke 6:12-16
At this time, Jesus went out into the hills to pray, spending the whole night in prayer with God. When day came, he called his disciples to him, and chose Twelve of them, whom he called ‘apostles’: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alpheus and Simon called the Zealot; Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who would be the traitor.
Reflection
Healthy diversity for the sake of the kingdom.
It is interesting how our Gospel is presented. It started with Jesus praying all night on the hills. After His prayer, He proceeded to choose twelve of His disciples, naming them apostles. Jesus chose twelve men with different backgrounds and personalities. Many of them were fishermen. A tax collector who collected money for the Romans was also there, as was a zealot who resisted Roman occupation. By choosing these men of diverse backgrounds and personalities, Jesus demonstrates the importance of healthy diversity for the sake of the kingdom. We can be companions of Jesus, even though we have differences. Open to the gifts that each one has received from the Lord, we, as a community of believers, can be enriched by one another. By learning from each other’s gifts and idiosyncrasies, we may grow into mature apostles sent by the Lord to the world for the sake of the Kingdom.
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