Tuesday, September 7, 2021 - Twenty-third week in Ordinary Time - It is I who have chosen you, that you will go and bear fruit, and your fruit may endure, says the Lord - Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ Luke 6, 12-19

Before making an important decision, it is customary, and even considered wise, to seek advice from a friend or someone you trust. For Jesus, he takes the time to withdraw and pray. He prays alone and in a prolonged manner, a whole night specifies the gospel. It is therefore wise and prudent not to rush to make a decision and above all, it is essential to seek to know the will of God. Here, Jesus is about to choose his collaborators and will call them "apostles" which can be translated as "sent". They will be sent to proclaim the kingdom of God.

Jesus is first of all the envoy of God the Father, then he calls on man to participate in his mission: it is he who chooses. It reminds us of the need for mutual aid and collaboration. We cannot be self-sufficient and each human being has his importance in his community and for all humanity. Jesus chooses the twelve apostles, in the image of Israel founded by its twelve tribes. These apostles will be the new Israel, the nucleus of the Church.

The denomination of apostle is not reduced to the only twelve, Saints Paul and Barnabas, pioneers of evangelization, also bear the name. Likewise, every Christian is also an apostle by fulfilling the mission of the Church and witnessing to Christ in his actions and words, hence the name apostolate. Christ never ceases to call other disciples: men, women, regardless of their origins. We are called by name to be apostles on the day of our baptism, to live his life, to follow him and to pass our faith on to others.

The first apostles rubbed shoulders with Jesus and received faith from him. They are witnesses of his passion, his death and his resurrection. We have inherited this faith and this testimony and have a duty to pass it on to posterity. For centuries, this faith has been passed down from generation to generation. Despite trials throughout the ages, the Church is still alive and is still faithful to the teachings of Christ. The memory of Jesus' words to Peter comes at the right time: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church; and the power of Death will not prevail over it".

Also, let us pray for the successors of the apostles - especially for the Pope, successor of Saint Peter - so that they will always have the grace to keep us faithful to the faith.