Tuesday of the
Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
(Colossians 2:6-15; Luke 6:12-19)
Long before the bricks and mortar of a new church are set
in place, the architect must draw a blueprint. Without one, the structure can never be satisfactorily
completed. In today’s gospel, Jesus demonstrates
that he has such a plan for the building up of the community of Church.
The passage significantly begins with Jesus at
prayer. Because naming of the apostles
is a critical step in Jesus’ design of salvation, it requires intense prayer. The disciples chosen for the office are not
any “Tom, Dick, and Harry.” Rather they
are individuals who are differentiated when two happen to have the same
name. By calling them “apostles,” a
Greek word meaning ones sent, Luke
indicates their preaching mission. The
fact that there are twelve, the number of the tribes of Israel, should not be
lost. Jesus is establishing a new Israel
with twelve tribes albeit from the whole world.
For this reason after Jesus’ resurrection the disciples will elect
someone to replace Judas Iscariot.
We might ask ourselves what plan we have for our own
lives. Whatever it is, hopefully it
leads to God. If it is not yet formed or
if it needs revision, we are wise to begin with prayer. We pray for wisdom to draw up a plan that
will be doable and satisfying. We also
pray that we may have the courage to carry the plan out.
