THE CHOICE AND CALL OF THE TWELVE.

THE CHOICE AND CALL OF THE TWELVE. 

"Jesus went up 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. (Luke 6: 12 - 19).

Jesus called the 12 after a  night spent in prayer to His heavenly Father. 

He chose twelve men who had been with Him from the Baptism of John. 

He chose them to become the pillar and foundation of the truth, the Church. (CF 1 Timothy 3: 15).

Jesus built His worldwide Church on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets. 

The message of the Apostles still goes out throughout the world.

It is the mind of Christ that the Church He founded be built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. What are the characteristics of this Church by which she can be recognized all over the world?

There are four marks. We profess every Sunday in the Apostles' Creed that the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. What do these words mean?

#1 One:  One faith, one Baptism, one Shepherd.

#2 Holy: The Holy Spirit that indwells the Church is the source of her holiness. The Holy Spirit continually cleanses the Bride of Christ from defilements.

#3 Catholic:  Universal. Found in all the countries of the United Nations and every other place of human habitation.

#4 Apostolic:  Every Bishop is directly traceable to the original 12 Apostles who were constituted in today's Gospel. 

In September, the Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of Mary. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows obtain for us  mercies from her Son Jesus. 

For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/06/immaculate-heart-of-mary-consecration.html?m=10