The Twelve Foundation Stones

 

“LORD, THAT I MAY SEE.”

A SHORT COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF THE DAY.

Gospel

Mark 3:13-19

He appointed twelve to be his companions

1.      Jesus went up into the hills

2.      and summoned those he wanted.

3.      So they came to him

4.      and he appointed twelve;

5.      they were to be his companions

6.      and to be sent out to preach,

7.      with power to cast out devils.

8.      And so he appointed the Twelve:

9.      Simon to whom he gave the name Peter,

10. James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or ‘Sons of Thunder’;

11. then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.

Like Moses Jesus goes up the mountain. He calls those whom he wants. It is not their choice. Jesus chooses them and they respond by coming to him. It is always God who acts first. We respond to him.

The leaders of Israel have rejected Jesus, the Messiah. Now Jesus establishes the new People of God. The Twelve are the founding Fathers. They correspond to the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. The leader is Peter. In all lists of the apostles, Peter is named first. On him Jesus is founding the Church whose members are the new People of God. We join the People of God by Baptism.

As with our Founding Fathers our main call is to be with Jesus and then go into the world and liberate it from the stranglehold of Satan.

It doesn’t mean we will never fail. Peter failed miserably when he denied Jesus. So did all the apostles when they ran away and left Jesus to his fate, like a lamb among wolves. Fail though they did, they never left Jesus and so he reconciled them with himself and they became the foundations of the Church. Judas alone failed and did not remain with Jesus. His life became such a failure that it would have been better if he had not been born.

Whatever happens to us we must never leave Jesus. If we always keep close to him, whatever happens, then we will pull through and triumph through the grace of Jesus.