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Gospel: Mark 3:13-19
Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted
and they came to him.
He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles,
that they might be with him
and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons:
He appointed the Twelve:
Simon, whom he named Peter;
James, son of Zebedee,
and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges,
that is, sons of thunder;
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus;
Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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During Jesus’ final night on earth, he gathers his friends together for a meal, known as the Last Supper.
I often pray before an icon of that moment, reminding myself that human beings are capable of being like any one of the disciples gathered around Jesus that night.
It’s a dynamic group.
There is John, the ever-faithful disciple who leans tenderly on the heart of Christ. Perhaps that describes some of us – consistently devout; our lives dedicated entirely to God.
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Then there’s Peter. Peter sways in his devotion like a branch in the wind. One moment he’s ready to die for the Lord, but the next he denies ever knowing him.
Peter wants to be faithful. But sometimes fear and temptation get the best of him.
Maybe that’s some of us. We want to be faithful to the Lord – and often are. But sometimes fear or temptation get in the way.
We leave the Lord momentarily but soon return sorrowful.
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Then there’s Judas, who betrays Jesus, handing him over for 30 lousy pieces of silver.
We can only speculate as to why Judas did this. Was he disappointed in Jesus? Greedy? Or angry that his own dreams of glory were smashed?
We don’t know. But we do know that such feelings – greed, anger, and disappointment – can surface in any human heart, certainly when things don’t go our way.
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There they are: three men sitting at the same table with Jesus.
One was faithful. Another stumbled. The third just gave up.
Still, the Lord loves them and will die for them all, just as he died for us.
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Image credits: (1) Last Supper, Giotto (2) Discalced Carmelite Friars, Holy Thursday (3) NIV Bible, The Lord’s Supper