Your Daily Tripod for Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
By
Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm. Great is the generosity you showed me today, when the LORD delivered me into your grasp and you did not kill me. For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed? May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day." (1 Samuel 24:18-20)
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me. In you I seek shelter. In the shadow of your wings I seek shelter till harm pass by. (Psalms 57:2)
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. (Mark 3:13-19)
Piety
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name? Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same? Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known, will you let my life be grown in you and you in me? (“The Summons” by John Bell)
Study
Some of them, we think we know well: Simon, named Peter. Thomas. Judas. Those sons of Zebedee, James and John. Others, like James the son of Alphaeus, we know less about. We know they sometimes squabbled over who was closer to Christ. We know one of them, devoid of hope, committed suicide. We know there were dozens if not hundreds of other people around Jesus who became disciples. But these twelve he summoned… because he wanted them, Mark tells us. And they all came. Whether we understand why doesn’t matter.
Apostle means one sent forth as a messenger. These twelve messengers in particular were called to establish the early Church and given the authority to drive out demons. Just what those demons were varied. Illness. Disbelief. Distrust. Fear. Ignorance. Skepticism. You name it. They are many of the same demons we are empowered to drive out today, with Christ’s help.
We’ve got something else in common with the Twelve. Sometimes, we don’t understand or particularly care for our fellow disciples. We squabble about who’s doing a better job of service. We wonder if Jesus doesn’t value us just a little bit more… or maybe just a little bit less… than that person next to us who works at the homeless shelter or serves as sacristan or sings the responsorial psalm. And here’s the thing—it doesn’t matter, anymore than it mattered 2,000 years ago.
John Bell, who wrote the lyrics to “The Summons” and other beautiful hymns, talked about this a little in an interview with Read the Spirit:
Jesus’ disciples were not people of money or influence or any proven intellectual acumen. Sometimes Jesus consorts with people who are of great wealth and wisdom—but he also interacts with people who are poor and who are persecuted. All of these people are called together. For the church to be the essential, important community God is calling—then the church must be a place that calls people with a variety of opinions and many backgrounds. (http://www.readthespirit.com/explore/2009/07/473-interview-hymn-writer-john-bell.html)
Sometimes we aren’t exactly sure why we’ve been summoned or why we’ve been summoned at the same time as people whom we find difficult to love. The important thing to remember is that we have been summoned because Christ wants us, as sure as he wanted the Twelve. If we listen, he’ll share the reason.
Action
What has Christ summoned you to do? Spend some time in prayer on this question. The message you are called to carry now may not be the same message you were called to carry last year… or ten years ago.
