Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Friday, 23 January 2015

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Friday, 23 January 2015
Meditation - Mark 3: Jesus Chooses His Twelve Apostles
13 Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with him, and they went. 14 Then he chose twelve of them to be his apostles,[a] so that they could be with him. He also wanted to send them out to preach 15 and to force out demons. 16 Simon was one of the twelve, and Jesus named him Peter. 17 There were also James and John, the two sons of Zebedee. Jesus called them Boanerges, which means “Thunderbolts.” 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus were also apostles. The others were Simon, known as the Eager One,[b] 19 and Judas Iscariot,[c] who later betrayed Jesus.[Footnotes:
3.14 to be his apostles: These words are not in some manuscripts.
3.18 known as the Eager One: The Greek text has “Cananaean,” which probably comes from a Hebrew word meaning “zealous” (see Luke 6.15). “Zealot” was the name later given to the members of a Jewish group that resisted and fought against the Romans.
3.19 Iscariot: This may mean “a man from Kerioth” (a place in Judea). But more probably it means “a man who was a liar” or “a man who was a betrayer.”]
Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him. (Mark 3:13)
“Who? Me? I can’t do that!” How many times have you heard comments like this, or even made them yourself when you were called upon to take up an important but daunting task? Don’t you think that the twelve men Jesus called to be his apostles had some of those same feelings? It was still early in his ministry, and they knew he was special. But they still had no idea just how important he was.
This Gospel reading tells us about three important things that happened. First, Jesus decided who he wanted for his ministry. He had many followers, some of whom were probably more qualified than these twelve. But he chose these men anyway. Next, Jesus summoned them. They didn’t volunteer; they didn’t run for election or ask for special positions. Jesus chose them. And lastly, they responded. They must have felt honored being selected, but at the same time must have wondered, “What am I getting myself into?” They had seen Jesus heal the sick and cast out demons, but none of them had done these things themselves. And still, this is what Jesus called them to do. He knew that, left to themselves, they were incapable of fulfilling this call, so he gave them his authority.
We can be encouraged by the legacy of these apostles—and all those who came after them. Like them, many of us wonder why God calls us to serve him in a particular way. And like them, we should all remember that we are a “chosen race … a people of his own” (1 Peter 2:9). He has summoned us to the mountain. Now it is up to us to respond.
Believe that God has planted seeds of greatness in you. He has summoned you. Now it’s up to you to respond. Know that he will equip you with everything you need. Step out in faith as the Twelve did. You are capable of serving Jesus in ways that you have not imagined because he will empower you. Remember, the Lord doesn’t call those who are equipped. He equips those who are called.
“Lord, give me the courage to say yes when you call and to believe that you will provide the wisdom, strength and ability to do your will.” Amen!
Hebrews 8:6 Now Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.
7 If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. 8 But the Lord found fault with it and said,
“I tell you the time will come,
when I will make
    a new agreement
with the people of Israel
    and the people of Judah.
9 It won’t be like the agreement
that I made
    with their ancestors,
when I took them by the hand
    and led them out of Egypt.
They broke their agreement
    with me,
and I stopped caring
    about them!
10 “But now I tell the people
of Israel
    this is my new agreement:
‘The time will come
    when I, the Lord,
will write my laws
    on their minds and hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be
    my people.
11 Not one of them
will have to teach another
    to know me, their Lord.'
“All of them will know me,
    no matter who they are.
12 I will treat them with kindness,
even though they are wicked.
    I will forget their sins.”
13 When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear.
Psalms 85:8 I will listen to you, Lord God,
    because you promise peace
to those
    who are faithful
    and no longer foolish.
10 Love and loyalty
    will come together;
    goodness and peace
    will unite.
11 Loyalty will sprout
    from the ground;
    justice will look down
    from the sky above.
12 Our Lord, you will bless us;
    our land will produce
    wonderful crops.
13 Justice will march in front,
    making a path
    for you to follow.
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