Luke 6:12-16
Jesus went up 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.
* * *
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are my Creator
and Redeemer. I hope in your goodness and mercy. I love you from the depths of
my heart. I place this time of meditation in your hands. Thank you for giving
me this opportunity to grow in love for your holy will.
Petition: Help
me, Lord, to persevere, like the Apostles.
1. Impossible
Cases: Saint Jude is known as the patron of
impossible cases. He was a relative of Our Lord himself and wrote one of the
letters in the New Testament. The fact that he is the patron of impossible
cases means, of course, that nothing is impossible with God. What is that one
“impossible” thing for me right now? What spiritual mountain do I think is too
high to climb? Is it really so “impossible” or do I just need to trust more and
work harder?
2. Zeal for the Right Kingdom: Saint Simon was called a Zealot. Zealots
were a group of people known for politically agitating the Roman occupiers. If
Simon belonged to that group, then he certainly had a steep learning curve to
absorb Jesus’ message about the true, spiritual Kingdom of God. The fact that
he’s listed among the Apostles means that Christ recognized his ability to
change. Perhaps Saint Simon could be a patron saint for attitude change -- then
his being teamed up with Saint Jude makes perfect sense. Getting over our own
petty attachments and ways of seeing things can seem like a fairly “impossible
case” in itself. But the Apostles are proof that Christ is more powerful than
our defects, as long as we have the effective desire to follow him.
3. Supporting Roles: When we think of the apostles, Simon and
Jude are never the first ones we name. However, not everyone needs to be a
headliner to be a rock-solid contributor. That’s who Simon and Jude were: men
loyal to Christ and who persevered in the mission that he entrusted to them. We
don’t need to be stars, just faithful!
Conversation
with Christ
Lord, you didn't greater: saints. Help me to believe in the power of your
grace to transform me and make me holy!
Resolution:
I will be humble and supportive today in the
“supporting roles” that I have.