He called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve

11 SEPTEMBER (Lk 6,12-19)

The vocation is from God. However, there is a big difference between the Old and New Testament. In the Old He always chose one person: Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, and so almost with all the prophets that succeeded one another over time. In the New everything changes. Jesus chooses the Twelve Apostles first and then the Seventy-two disciples. Before, every one worked alone for others. Today, everyone must work in a perfect communion, even if hierarchical and always headed by a person who by ministry holds a higher responsibility. Here is how the sacred text tells us about the vocation of Jeremiah.
The words of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin. The word of the Lord first came to him in the days of Josiah, son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign, and continued through the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the downfall and exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, son of Josiah, king of Judah. The word of the Lord came to me thus: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “I know not how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord answered me, Say not, “I am too young.” To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Have no fear before them, because I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord. Then the Lord extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying, See, I place my words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and over kingdoms, To root up and to tear down, to destroy and to demolish, to build and to plant” (Jer 1,1-10).
With Jesus the history of salvation changes totally. There is no longer one people to be led to God. The whole world, every people, nation, language, tribe must be brought into the truth and charity of Christ the Lord. A single worker can do virtually little, almost nothing. An almost infinite number of workers is needed. Jesus chooses the twelve Apostles today. The number twelve, other than reminding the twelve patriarchs, founders of the twelve tribes of Israel; also reveals a perfect size, not absolute, necessary for the fulfillment of God’s work. The twelve must always be multiplied by itself, so that it is always perfect, always full, always suitable for the salvation of the whole earth. To the twelve there must always be added for all the time, throughout the years, until the advent of the new heavens and new earth.

In those days he departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

As Jesus spends the night in prayer on the mountain to ask the Father to give him the help necessary for the accomplishment of his mission until the end; so the Apostle, every collaborator of the Apostles, every disciple of Jesus must ask the Father, in his long nights of prayer, to sends him his twelve Apostles and his Seventy-two disciples. Without this addition, every mission becomes impossible. God gives after an unceasing prayer, made out of love for the salvation of the world. If we love the brothers, God always responds to our love with the immensity of his charity and adds what is lacking for the holy completion of our mission. If we do not love, do not pray, nothing the Father in heaven, might ever do and our mission fails miserably. It lacks the necessary, essential support.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels, and Saints give us a heart that loves.