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

Eph 2,19-22; Ps 18; Lk 6,12-19
28 OCTOBER

The choice belongs only to the Father. Man can also offer himself to the Father. If he is offered it is by motion of the Holy Spirit. But then it must be the Father the one who chooses him, in the Holy Spirit, as an apostle of his Son. The Father chooses through Christ the Lord.

This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another (Jn 15,12-17).

St. Peter, for a person to take over Judah’s place, dictates the conditions. Two people are presented. It is not he the one who chooses. He makes the Lord choose.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.” Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles (At 1,21-26).

Saint Paul also dictates the conditions for one to be chosen as the Apostle of Jesus. However, the choice always belongs to the Lord. He chooses through his Apostles. They must pay all attention so that nothing comes from their heart.

This saying is trustworthy: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Therefore, a bishop must be irreproachable, married only once, temperate, self-controlled, decent, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not aggressive, but gentle, not contentious, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children under control with perfect dignity; for if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of the church of God? He should not be a recent convert, so that he may not become conceited and thus incur the devil’s punishment. He must also have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, the devil’s trap (1Tm 3,1-7).

As Jesus spent the night in prayer asking the Father to give him twelve names on which to build and raise his new people, so too the Church, in each of her children, must spend nights in prayer to ask the Father for workers for her harvest. Prayer was necessary for Christ Jesus. Prayer will always be necessary for the Church. If the Church does not ask with long and heartfelt prayer, the Father does not give.

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.

Why are the Apostles necessary for Jesus? Because to them Jesus will have to deliver his mission, his Word, his Holy Spirit, his body and his blood, his grace and truth, his Church and his sacraments and his flock. It is they who will have to make the new pastors and it is they who will always have to build his kingdom.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that the Father of Heaven always sends workers to the vineyard.