5 July 2013 The choice and vocation of the Twelve Apostles The Lord began the second year of his ministry by founding the Apostolic College. Thus he laid the foundation of his Church which was to perpetuate his mission among men. He called his disciples and chose twelve whom he named Apostles: Simon, whom he surnamed Peter and Andrew his brother; James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alpheus; Simon called the Zealot; Jude the brother of James; and Judas Iscariot, who turned traitor. Of the numerous disciples, who followed Jesus, he chose twelve only, a mystical number, typified seventeen centuries before by the twelve princes or chiefs of the twelve tribes of Israel. Glorious and happy was the lot of those whom the Son of God chose by a grace of predilection. Let us rejoice with them and for them. Let us rejoice also because our Lord has chosen us in preference to so many others more worthy. Jesus had an extraordinary preparation. “The evening before, he went out into a mountain, and he passed the whole night in prayer.” (Lk 6:12; Mt 5:1) Did he need this night-long retreat, that his choice might be good? No, answers St Ambrose; but it was his will to give us an example, and to teach us an important lesson. Our Lord thus teaches us by his example -- First, earnestly pray seeking counsel from the Father of Lights before beginning anything important; and second, when we pray, to withdraw as much as possible from the world, from the turmoil of life. How have I followed this divine teaching? In what way can I, or ought I, to amend my conduct? Seemingly inexplicable to us is to find among the chosen twelve the traitor Judas. Was our Lord, then, deceived in him? Interpreters tell us our Lord earnestly desired to have Judas for an apostle. Judas ruined himself by his treason. By choosing him our Lord teaches us that anyone who has received the most excellent gifts of God retains the power to use or abuse them. Those called to the holiest state may still be lost, and ought, therefore, to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, as St Peter tells us. We must also distinguish the organization from the individual, between the office and the person. We ought to derive great profit from these lessons for ourselves and for instruction of others. To whoever fear God, “all things work together for good” (Rom 8:28). One’s treachery should make us tremble and mistrustful of self. The perseverance of the others should give us great confidence in the omnipotent grace of God. Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp419-21 Contemplating the Most Sacred Humanity of Christ in the Gospel We can love only what we know well. Thus, we must have the life of Christ “in our heart and mind, so that at any time, without any book, we can close our eyes and contemplate his life, watching it like a film. In this way the words and actions of our Lord will come to mind in all the different circumstances of our life. “In this way we become involved in his life. It is not a matter of just thinking about Jesus, of recalling some scenes of his life. We must be completely involved and play a part in his life. We must follow him as closely as Mary his Mother did, as closely as the first twelve, the holy women, the crowds that pressed about him. If we do this without holding back, Christ’s words will enter deep into our soul and will really change us ... “If we want to bring other men and women to our Lord, we must first go to the Gospel and contemplate Christ’s love.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Christ is passing by”, 107) Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:455 The spirit of poverty for a Christian When the Twelve have been with Jesus for a considerable time, he decided to send them out on their first mission without him. Before leaving, the Twelve received very specific instructions. They were to go to the Jews only, not to the Gentiles, not even to the Samaritans, but “to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Mt 10:6). Jesus “instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses”. They were to wear sandal but, “Do not take a spare tunic” (Mk 6:8-9). The Master wanted the Apostles to undertake their task in a spirit of complete detachment from material or personal considerations, with entire trust in divine providence. He sent them out to work without human resources to make them learn to rely on supernatural means; and would come to understand that the efficacy of the apostolate comes from God. On these Gospel passages, St Bede wrote: “The preacher should so trust in God that he is convinced he will have everything he needs to support life, even if he cannot himself obtain it; for he should not neglect eternal things through worrying about temporal things.” Bereft of human resources, the Apostles would realize the miracles and conversions worked out through their ministry could not be attributed to themselves. It was a lesson on humility and supernatural outlook that would be engraved in their memory. St Paul, too, clearly grasped this truth: “What is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants who brought the faith to you. Even the different ways they brought it were assigned by the Lord. I did the planting, Apollos did the watering; but God made things grow.” (cf Cor 3:5-6) By instructing his Apostles to be detached even from personal needs, Jesus did not want to reduce Christians to penury. Christ wants us to put primacy on supernatural means, but also expects us to avail of all human resources. Grace does not supplant nature. St Thomas wrote: a person who would not exert effort to carry out what he could, and instead depend entirely on the divine help, would be guilty of tempting God. Ref: Cf Fr M Guzman, “Encounters with Christ”, 1990, pp70-72 • Dedication of Our Lady of Cambray, in the year 1472 by Peter de Ranchicourt, Bishop of Arras. This church was built in honor of Our Lady, in the year 524; reduced to ruins by the Normans in the year 882; rebuilt by Dossillon, twenty-first Bishop of Arras, in the year 890; and, finally, after having been burnt in the years 1064 and 1148, it was put in its present condition, in the year 1251. — Chronicon Hannon., t. iii., lib. ii., chap. 23. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Dedication of Our Lady of Cambray, Arras, France (1472). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (http://www/mariedenazareth.com) • “Notre Dame de Cambrai” / Cambray. Arras, France. 1472. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)