“It is impossible to pray accurately for someone and still have something against him. Even if you have something against him, if you pray for him, you will end up loving him.”

All my sermons are prepared in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament… The most brilliant ideas come from meeting God face to face… Pope John Paul II keeps a small desk or writing pad near him whenever he is in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament; and I have done this all my life — I am sure for the same reason he does, because a lover always works better when the beloved is with him. - Archbishop Fulton Sheen: (1895 – 1979: was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio)

Gospel Text: (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.

 

As we honor the Apostles Simon and Jude on their feast day, reflect, today, upon your own calling to follow Christ and act as His apostle to the world.  The only way you can fulfill this mission is through a life of prayer.  Reflect upon your prayer life and do not hesitate to deepen your resolve to imitate the depth and intensity of our Lord’s perfect example of prayer.