Daily Catholic Lectio. Fri, 19 Jan 2024. Whom he wanted

Daily Catholic Lectio

Fri, 19 January 2024

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

1 Samuel 24:2-20. Mark 3:13-19

Whom he wanted

A few days ago, I attended a virtual conference on priestly and religious vocation. The conference dealt with the present practices in vocation promotion, selection, and recruitment of candidates, maintaining the candidates in formation, and accompanying the candidates along the formation. One of the common voices that emerged was that every candidate must come to embrace priestly or religious life, not out of compulsion but out of free will.

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Today’s gospel reading brings before us a vocation narrative – the vocation of the twelve apostles. Jesus recruits his twelve co-workers without any vocation camp, without aptitude tests, without letters of reference, and without collecting anyone’s biodata.

Mark sums up the narrative in one verse: “Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted, and they came to him.”

Jesus’ going up the mountain signifies three things: (a) Jesus goes up the mountain to pray; thus, call narrative happens in the context of prayer, Jesus’ union with his Father; (b) As Moses, going up the mountain, brought the twelve tribes of Israel together, Jesus, the New Moses, brings forth the leaders of the new Israel; (c) The journey of the apostles that begin on this mountain will continue in Tabor, Calvary, and ascension.

Jesus calls his apostles for two reasons: ‘to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the good news and to have authority over evil spirits.’

Jesus, first and foremost, wants his apostles to be with him.

Jesus knows that no one makes it alone. He knows the value of community. Often times, our culture promotes individual living. Jesus proposes a countermodel. Community defines our identity and pushes us into action. Our roots are intertwined with many communities.

What are the lessons from this text?

(a) Two directions of discipleship: ‘being called’ and ‘being sent’

Everyone who is called is sent. Every tree that is rooted must bear fruit. We must constantly remember two directions of our discipleship.

(b) Being with Jesus

Jesus calls on his apostles to be with him. ‘Contact with Jesus creates a connection with him. Interaction with him leads to spiritual transactions. And networking with him increases our net worth.’

(c) Names

Mark records the given names, the titles, and the new names of the apostles. Jesus knew his apostles’ weaknesses. He calls them despite their shortcomings. He calls because he wants them. In God’s eyes, every one of us is numbered.

In the first reading, we read about David’s magnanimity and Saul’s conversion. David, who has a chance to kill Saul, lets Saul live. The magnanimity of David leads Saul to change his heart. David quotes, ‘From the wicked comes the wickedness.’ We need to change our inner attitude to change our outer actions.

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“All human persons are called to this union with Christ, who is the light of the world, from whom we go forth, through whom we live, and towards whom our whole life strains.” (Lumen Gentium, n. 3, Jubilee A.D. 2025, bite 12)

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy