WEDNESDAY of 14th WEEK, uneven numbered year
"Jesus summoned his twelve disciples ands gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and illness.’
The call of the Twelve apostles is surprising in the Gospel of St Matthew for the apostles don’t leave on mission, but they remain close to Jesus! In reality this Mission begins at the end of the Gospel once Jesus has Risen. Then He sends them out , having given them the Holy Spirit. Saved by the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus, they go off to announce the Good News of the Resurrection : the Kingdom of God is at hand.And so Saint Matthew tells us that there is no mission outside of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In order to be sent on Mission, one first of all needs to have benefitted from the Salvation operated by His Passion and Resurrection. Celebrating the Paschal mystery in the Eucharist and we too are sent on Mission. Our life is similar to that of the disciples who go before us in the Kingdom.
’These are the names of the twelve apostles : first, Simon, who is known as Peter, and his brother Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, an his brother John, Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector ; James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who was also his betrayer.“This new ’Body instituted by Jesus is of great importance for the future of the Church! In his Passion Jesus will take everyone’s life as well as lives together in the Church to give meaning to them. Enlightened by the light of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus our life will become a good seed for the Light of the world, the work of his Love. Until the end of the world the Risen Lord Jesus will nourish us with His Body ad Blood, strengthening us by His Holy Spirit so that we hold firm in our daily combat. In living this Love we announce the Good News : we have a Saviour, it is Jesus who makes us into a new People.”These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows : Do not make your way to gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand."
Here we have Jesus’ Mission announced! The Mystery of God who makes himself close to our lives. This proximity of Jesus manifests itself to humanity who will always be its Defender. This is why the disciples ought to be the smallest and the poorest ones. In this Mission they will have gone through the screening of the Passion that enlightens Jesus’ life. This is when the heart of the apostle is revealed, he will be able to be sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. In the light of the Holy Spirit, God’s Israel contains the whole of humanity, we are filled with mercy for the People who belongs to God. Everywhere the Apostles go ,this is where Jesus is at work. We can bring aid to all the human distress as true apostles of Jesus.