“The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude”

In his essay 'Self-Reliance' Emerson wrote, 'Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.' The Apostle Paul reminds us that whoso would be a Christian must also be a  nonconformist. Any Christian who blindly accepts the opinions of the majority and in fear and timidity follows a path of expediency and social approval is a mental and spiritual slave. - Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968: was an American Baptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement from 1954 through 1968.

Gospel Text: (MK 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.

From the third of Mark’s 16 chapters, we hear today of Jesus calling His Twelve. They are meant to be men of action. Jesus names them “Apostles, that they might be with Him and He might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.”

There are two points one might note in this sentence. Given that the word “apostle” literally means “one who is sent”, the evangelist describes the type of mission these twelve will have. But more primary than this being sent forth is the One who sends them. Their “apostleship” is rooted not only in the person of Christ, but in their being “with Him”. In our own manner, each of us as a baptized member of the Church is called to serve, but is called first to be “with Him” each day.