Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles
Reading 1 Eph 2:19-22
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 19:2-3, 4-5
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Alleluia See Te Deum
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Lk 6:12-16
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.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles. // Luke 6:13
When transitioning into a new school, I had high hopes about maintaining the friendships I had at my previous school. I was excited to begin a new chapter of my life—alongside them. Some time had passed and an ache in my heart began to develop as I watched my previous friends choose other people besides me, which eventually led to the parting of our ways. My heart was deeply confused. Did I do something wrong? Am I not cool enough for them? Why didn’t they choose me?
In today’s Gospel, we hear of when Jesus called His disciples: “When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles” (Luke 6:13).
Despite their weaknesses and unworthiness, Jesus still invited them to follow Him.
As Jesus chose the Twelve, He also chooses you. He calls you by name. You belong to Him, and He will never move on from your friendship with Him. No matter what you do, He will always desire your love and attention. It’s easy to be conflicted inside over this truth, especially when the lies of the enemy take deep root in our hearts. But Jesus calls you to Himself, to draw near to His Most Sacred Heart that burns for you.
Sister, I want to gently invite you to stay close to His Sacred Heart in prayer and throughout your day. His Heart is where you’ll discover the truth about yourself. You don’t have to “fix” yourself in order to approach His Heart. He doesn’t want another version of you. His Heart desires to embrace you exactly where you are. Allow His burning love to reveal to you that you are chosen by Him. He chooses you every day.
Jesus, we love You. Thank You for choosing us every day of our lives. Help us to bask in the warmth of Your love that burns from Your Most Sacred Heart. May we have the courage and grace to choose You every day, just as You choose us. Amen.