Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.”

Gospel Reading: Luke 6:12-19 Jesus departed 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. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all.

In today’s gospel reading, we see that Jesus has called forth from his disciples a group of twelve. Jesus spends all night in prayer with His Father in heaven before selecting the twelve men who would become the first leaders of the Catholic Church. It says that he named them his Apostles. The word apostle means somebody who tries to persuade others to share in an idea or cause. These twelve men became the chief spokesperson for Christ. You would think that he would call forth the rich and the wealthy. But instead he calls forth the ordinary, the poor, laborers and fisherman to be his Apostles. The job of the twelve was to go forth and invite the people of Israel to be Disciples of Christ. Eventually the twelve would go forth beyond Israel and bring Christ to the entire world. These twelve Apostles were given the gift of the Holy Spirit to help them form the church and grow it into the vessel which it has become today. These twelve men became the very foundation from which the church was built. However, the church is not complete. We too are called to be disciples of Christ. He calls us by name to help spread the Word of God to the world. We are all graced with the Holy Spirit to lay down our worldly belonging and sacrifice the comfort of our homes to go out bring others to his banquet. As we are filled with the Eucharist, we are called to bring others to Christ so that they too can be filled with the body and blood of Christ. It is easy to say “I can’t,” but God gives us the strength to say “I will” through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. If we seek Christ, we can be healed of the things that torment us. Seek Christ and touch him for the power will come forth to strengthen you and heal you.

A Simple Prayer

Most heavenly Father, I reach out to you for your healing power.

Inflame my heart so I can go out and spread the Word of God.

I am here Lord, take my life and do with it as you will.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon