Friday of 2nd week, even numbered year
“Jesus went up onto the mountain and summoned those he wanted.”
Jesus climbs up the mountain, calmly, step by step, then calls the Twelve apostles those he wants to. Then will come their own climb upwards, they will gather around him.It will be the Institution of a group of Twelve, it is something new, meant to last until the end of time. It is not simply a group, but twelve people in all, ’the Twelve’ - a unity.
We are each one of us all called by our name in the benevolent gaze of the Infinite Love of God our Father.He calls us and sends us out on mission, telling us how present he is in our midst. This is how all the Love of God is revealed to us. This Love has an incredible strength to it. Already Moses on the mountain heard God’s voice : ’You saw what I did in Egypt, how I bore you on eagles’ wings to bring you to me.’ When an eagle flies away he has such strength! God’ Word joins us in our daily life, in what is most intimate within us. Jesus speaks to, us of the gentle pity in God’s Heart lovingly attentive, seeing the needs of humanity : ’Seeing the crowds, he had pity on them because they were lost like shepherds without a shepherd.“God sees humanity and sends his Son in the flesh to come to our aid.”They were to be his companions and to be sent out to proclaim the message, with power to drive out devils."
The mission of these men will be to be with Jesus, preaching a Word in an active manner, one that will pass from one to another, a word that carries and brings people back to life. It is a call to be in truth, transmitting something of the Lord, something that Jesus carries further than himself. Thus a new way of living is instigated, it is still being offered to us today. Jesus calls these twelve apostles and gives them a mission. They have each one of them been called by their name, they have been taken up in the Infinite Love of God. We too have been healed and saved by this Love so as to become in our turn saviours. In order to help our brothers get up again ourselves have had to be picked up again from our distress. We count on God, knowing how our prayer has been answered. With Jesus we no longer are afraid, we give ourselves over to the
Infinite Love of God, in His loving gaze. With this hope that Jesus really does love us, we can come to the aid of our brothers and sisters! It is a call to be gratuitous, a sign of God’s Love revealed in Jesus Christ. He is the One who saves us in extra love. He loves us and gives his Life for us, even though’we were still sinners.’
“And so he appointed the Twelve, Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and john the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ’Sons of Thunder’; Andrew, Philip, Batholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zelot, and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.”
Jesus chooses His apostles who will follow him throughout his ministry of preaching. He sends them forth. ’You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church.’, says Jesus. God’s Will of Love is shown to Simon : ’’You shall be called Peter.’ This is the new name God gives him. It is not Peter who claimed to be there but God who put him into that position. In the same way it is not we who determine our mission, it is God! We are going to choose it and adhere to it in a movement of adoration. Jesus also chooses James and John, the one He loved, the beloved disciple. We do not build up the community according to our own will, but according to God’s Will. We see in this passage all the names of the apostles, one by one, right up to the one who will betray him : Judas Isacriot. In Jesus there are promises of Life and so the apostles are the ones who are messengers of this. Jesus is the Gift of God who saves. We are unable to place our pride in our qualities, but in the Love of God who ’reconciled all men in His Son."