A reading of the holy Gospel according to Mark 3:13-19
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.
REFLECTION: ..."that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:"
There is training for any job we do. Someone has to teach you how to do something, how to maintain the pace and how not to burn out. Some training is accomplished in a few hours, other professions require years of learning and preparation before we can go out to perform our duties. We are introduced to our professions and experience the nature and demands of our work. Then we perfect our job.
The apostles were chosen by Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. He would train them.They would learn from Him, "that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons:" This is the norm in the formation for all religious and priests before being sent out to mission. Train with the teacher (Jesus), learn from the teacher, internalize the teachings and go out to preach.
A perfect example of a Parish Priest Saint, would be our PAPA patron saint, St John Vianney. He embodied the way of fighting daily for Christ and for souls. He fasted, he heard confessions for hours, prayed continuosly, did not cede ground to the devil, prayed himself through temptation, self denial, round the clock availability and humble love. But most importantly, he allowed the people of d'Ars to find a place in his heart. Day to day his holy witness was there for all the village to see. He prayed for his flock. He was a perfect shepherd and the morally corrupt village eventually was transformed into a flock of devout souls.
By virtue of of our baptism, we are all called to be the disciples of Jesus, to follow His way of life and become witnesses of His love for the world. But we have to develop a certain skill or behavior through practice and instruction over time.
Why did we join PAPA? Do we want to see the priests on fire for Jesus and His Church, the Body and Bride of Christ? When we consecrated ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we promised to "Go out and make disciples of all nations". We need to practice speaking to priests, speaking with kindred spirits, pledging and working for the Kingdom of God. May our prayers for our priests shower them with sanctifying graces. May they be the modern day St John Vianney.
Would anyone like to share the reason they joined PAPA and how they have gone out and made disciples?
God Bless You
