The Twelve Apostles

Photo of snail and pansies with the Shalom Snail couplet printed beneath.
โ€œThe Twelve Apostlesโ€
Luke 6:12-16 โ€œin a snailshellโ€
Tuesday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time
ยฉ๏ธ2021 Gloria M. Chang

In those days he departed 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.

Luke 6:12-16

Apostles of the Apostle

Apostle (apostolos) means โ€œmessengerโ€ or โ€œone sent on a mission.โ€ Jesus, the โ€œSent One,โ€ who comes from โ€œthe Father who sent me,โ€1 is the original apostle from God Most High.2 The letter to the Hebrews identifies Jesus as โ€œthe apostle and high priest of our confession.โ€

All โ€œsendingโ€ originates from God the Father, to whom the Son prays all night. Continuing the mission of the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles of the apostle embark on a journey with Jesus to โ€œmake disciples of all nations.โ€4

The Sent One prayed to the Sender.
Twelve โ€œsent onesโ€ joined the Messenger.

Traditional Chinese Translation

ใ€ŠๅไบŒไฝฟๅพ’ใ€‹
ๅ—ๅทฎ้ฃ้‚ฃไธ€ไฝ๏ผˆๅคงไฝฟ่€…๏ผ‰ๅ‘ๅทฎๆดพ่€…็ฅˆ็ฆฑใ€‚
ๅไบŒๅ€‹โ€œๅ—ๅทฎ็š„ไธ€ไฝโ€๏ผˆๅฐไฝฟ่€…๏ผ‰ๅŠ ๅ…ฅไบ†ๅคงไฝฟ่€…่€ถ็ฉŒ็š„่กŒๅˆ—ใ€‚


Reference

1 John 5:37; 6:44; 6:57; 8:16, 18; 12:49; 14:24.
2 Luke 1:32.
3 Hebrews 3:1.
4 Matthew 28:19; Genesis 12:3, 17:4; Psalm 67, 96, 117; Jeremiah 3:17; Malachi 3:12.

7 Replies to “The Twelve Apostles”

  1. Dear GMC, We are all called and sent forth. The tasks may not be the same, but the mission is: To share God’s love. Thank you for helping me reflect and pray about my call and how I answer it before God. We may no longer be called to great tasks, but our call is not diminished and neither are we.

  2. Apostle ORIGIN:Old English apostol, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek apostolos โ€˜messengerโ€™, from apostellein โ€˜send forthโ€™.
    By our very BEing made in the image of God, we are messengers of Good News.In God’s garden of life, each one blooms!

    1. Sr. Karen, thank you for your profound insight! God is gracious and merciful.

      “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.”
      -John 15:16

  3. I often forget that He “chose” me. I think it couldn’t possibly be true. I look at all my flaws, faults and failures…but He must see something more…so I must say “Here I am. Send me.”

    1. The Scriptures go even further: โ€œโ€ฆhe chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before himโ€ (Ephesians 1:4).

      Before anything came into being, God chose us in Christ. Who can fathom the mind of the Lord?

      May we have confidence and trust like St. Thรฉrรจse of Lisieux, who entrusted herself to Divine Mercy: โ€œWhoever is a LITTLE ONE, let him come to me.โ€

      Related posts:
      Let the Children Come to Me
      Before the Foundation of the World
      I Have Called You By Name

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