Jesus called His disciples and from them selected the Twelve who would be His closest collaborators.

The Son of God, the most powerful who can effect anything He wants welcomed human collaborators to Help Him in His task.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

1 Samuel 24:3-21*

(...)Now David and his men

Were far back in the cave. David's men said to him, "This is the day which Yahweh spoke of: 'Look I will deliver your enemy into your hands and you will do with him as you see fit." So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul's robe. But afterward, David regretted having cut off an end of Saul's robe, and he said to his men, "Let me not lay my hands on my master, for he is Yahweh's anointed.(...)

 

Then David himself stepped out of the cave and called after Saul, "My master, the king!" When Saul looked back, David knelt and then bowed to the ground in homage and asked him, "Why do you listen to those who say that I want to harm you? Look, today you have seen that Yahweh delivered you into my hands in the cave. I was told to kill you but I held myself back and said:

 

'I will not lift my hands against my master who is Yahweh's anointed. My father, look at this end of your robe which I am holding! I cut off the end of your robe but did not kill you. Now you may know that I mean you no harm or treason. I have done you no wrong and yet you are hunting me down to kill me. May Yahweh be judge between you and me; and may he exact justice from you in my case. But I shall do you no harm.

 

As the saying goes, 'From the wicked comes wickedness'; as for me, my hand shall not harm you. But who is it you are after, O king of Israel? Are you pursuing a dead dog? A flea? May Yahweh be Judge between you and me. May he see and uphold my cause and deliver me from your hands."

 

After David had spoken these words, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, my son David?" He wept aloud and said to David, "You are right and I am wrong, for you have repaid with kindness the harm I have inflicted on you. This day you have shown your righteousness to me by not taking my life when Yahweh put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go unharmed? May Yahweh reward you for what you have done for me today. Now I know for certain that you shall reign and the kingdom of Israel will be firm in your hand.

 

 Ps 57:2, 3-4, 6, 11 Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Mark 3:13-19

Then Jesus went up into the hill country, and called those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed Twelve to be with him, and he called them 'apostles.' He wanted to send them out to preach; and he gave them authority to drive out demons.

These are the Twelve: Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter, James, son of Zebedee, and John his brother, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, which means 'men of thunder'; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"The ones who are sent."

Jesus' mission is to proclaim the kingdom of God. Later on, he would mandate his followers to preach the Gospel to the whole creation. But first, Jesus willed to form a community of disciples. Jesus would call individuals, from different walks of life, to form a community. God's reign on earth is realized when genuine communities are created. God's grace is the bond that enables true Christian communities to be formed. Apart from God's grace, any attempt to create a community is bound to fail.

 

Openness to the grace of God helps us to submit ourselves to greater values. The Gospel narrates that Jesus chose twelve followers whom he called apostles. The word apostles means "the ones who are sent." Members of the community of disciples, characterized by the chosen twelve, are to be sent. What does this imply? The true Christian community is not self-confined. Jesus' disciples are to reach out to others. Being called by Jesus to be his followers is not to be taken as a special privilege but an occasion to experience grace, to be transformed by such grace and eventually to become instruments of the same grace for the rest of the world.