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Gospel: 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles. Consider three reasons why the Lord might’ve chosen them. They are also three reasons why the Lord chooses us.
Jesus chose Simon and Jude to be his friends. Like us, the Lord wanted people to share his life and ministry with.
Do you feel that same invitation, to be a friend of Jesus?
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Secondly, he chose them to be disciples. To be a disciple means to “learn” from a teacher. Jesus wanted Simon and Jude to learn how to live a fulfilling life, which leads to eternal life.
Are you a disciple of Jesus? How much do you “learn” from him?
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Finally, he chose them because they were ordinary. We know at least some of the disciples were either fishermen or tax collectors. None of them were wealthy, powerful, or well educated. They were all “blue collar” men, who ended up changing the world.
There’s a lesson in that for us: God doesn’t need the wealthy or powerful to do his will; he needs ordinary believers like us who have an open mind and a willing heart.
Am I open to doing the Lord’s will?
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Saints Simon and Jude were ordinary people whose lives were changed by the Lord. Then they changed others.
May we do the same.
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Image credits: (1) Heavenly Treasures Ministry (2) Finding Strength. Gaining Courage. Loving God., WordPress (3) Pinterest