Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.
Simon and Judas
1. He withdrew. There are times when you have to get out of the maelstrom you are in, you must look for some space and time for yourself, where you can be you; to connect with yourself and with God. You must learn that life is not a constant burst of speed in our activities, nor is it a series of actions and reactions. Try to find a moment of solitude; that will do you a lot of good. You must withdraw from the outside world for a moment, to be able to find yourself, to listen to yourself – not to listen to others. There are times when we forget about ourselves to attend to the needs of others. We always postpone our own needs. But to do good to someone, you need your own space and time with yourself and with God, because you can’t give what you don’t have. Try to find that time of peace and quiet!
2. He called. God’s calling is based on authenticity, because Jesus looks at what is genuine in a person, not their resume. Making a self-critique of the Church, because that’s the only way we can grow, we see that we choose its members based on their qualifications and even their ideology. But Jesus teaches us that the choice comes down to the heart. Today, I invite you to feel chosen by Christ to contribute to this life, even if you are often rejected by the very people who speak of Christ. Today, be conscious that you’ve been chosen by God despite your mistakes and sins, because God does not call the qualified; He equips those He calls.
3. The call to welcome. We are called to welcome everyone, and I dream of a Church like that. How many times do we see people hurting who have nowhere to find peace?! Even when they come to our church, we make them feel worse instead of showing them that we have the remedy. But I’m not just talking about the Church as an institution; I am the Church, and so are you. So, let’s get motivated and get to work. Help the person who needs to be listened to. I’m not asking you to go on a mission to Africa; all I ask is that you help someone however and wherever you can. And what’s more, let’s not push anyone away. The other day, I went to a high school here in Tucumán for a youth meeting, but a sister there not only made me feel unwelcome, but she actually sent a message to tell me so. These things happen within our Church. When I left to avoid further awkwardness, because I also felt uncomfortable, I understood how many Christians have felt this way in our Church: not welcome. Let’s ask God to help us be a Church that supports and welcomes, just as Saint Dominic did with the Dominicans.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
