Called to be Apostles

The 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Readings: [Click here]

I want to start today’s lesson in a different way than usual. I’d ask you to take a deep breath… maybe even close your eyes momentarily… and think about what is wrong with your life.

It may be sin: something that you know is bad that’s got a grip on you, something you’re ashamed about, something from the past that’s haunting you. It might be something that the Church says is sin but you don’t feel it, but you’re still conflicted.

Maybe it’s some flaw in your character that bothers you: you talk too much, or are too shy, or too negative, or aren’t as friendly or helpful as you wish you could be. Or perhaps there’s something else about yourself that you feel down about: like not being smart enough, or not liking something about your body or your abilities in, say, sports or music.

Or maybe you’re unhappy or depressed or in pain over other events in life that you haven’t really had any control over: such as dealing with illness, or money problems, or the death of someone important, or being a victim of crime or abuse, or just reeling from a run of really bad luck.

You see, it doesn’t matter what it is; it could be just about anything. I ask you to zero in for a few moments on that pain or frustration or feeling of helplessness.

OK. Now, it’s important to remember that Jesus is right here, looking at you in your pain. With this in mind, listen again to the words of the gospel and put yourself in the scene: At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

Yes, Christ sees your pain and knows that you are suffering in private. There’s no one else to take care of it for you. The Lord’s heart aches for you, because he loves you more than you can imagine. He wants to reach out to you and make things better.

So what Jesus does in the gospel is gather together his twelve apostles: Peter, Andrew, James and John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James and Jude, Simon and Judas Iscariot.

Many Catholics look with reverence on these apostles as the Church’s very first college of bishops. And of course, we do have a special love for them; they said “yes” to God when that “yes” spelled near-certain death. Their faith is truly inspirational.

But there was something else about these people that’s also noteworthy.

When modern people are trying to deal with a problem in their life, it’s quite common to turn to various self-help organizations. What so many of these groups have in common is that their leaders have gone through exactly what you’re going through! The person who runs the meetings at Alcoholics Anonymous is a recovering alcoholic him- or herself. The thin person standing up front at Weight Watchers followed the program and lost weight like you’re hoping to do. The people leading the cancer survivor group have been through it in their own family and can teach you how to cope. Not only do these folks have lots of first-hand, tried-and-true advice to offer… but they also have credibility. When they say, “I feel your pain,” we know it’s true, because they once were where you are right now. What they offer is genuine hope.

So back to the apostles. Let’s knock them off their pedestal for just a minute. Last week, we heard about Matthew, the tax collector. Boy, did he have issues! Think about some of the other gospel stories featuring the rest of the gang of apostles:

• Peter, who was uncontrolled, had a temper, promised the world but often fell short.

• Thomas, who doubted; he fell way short in his faith.

• Bartholomew, the man without guile—maybe a nice way of saying he was too naïve and trusting for his own good.

• James and John who were angling for an unfair advantage—and even sent their mother to do their dirty work for them.

• And of course Judas Iscariot, who turned out to be a thief and a traitor.

So picture these twelve—and in fact, all the men and women who Jesus allowed to be his disciples, his inner circle—not just as saints, but as ordinary folks plagued by all the same problems and pains and shortcomings that we have. Picture them, then, as running the self-help organizations that we can go to for first-hand, tried-and-true advice on the issues we face in our life! In fact, that’s exactly what they did. That’s why our Church numbers in the billions today.

And indeed, there is more! Jesus wants each of us to be his modern-day apostle, too. To follow Christ, and to love God and neighbor, means giving hope and encouragement to anyone in need whom we meet. They are sheep without a shepherd… and we are called to be their shepherd!

“But,” you may be thinking, “how am I qualified to shepherd anyone else?”

I don’t need to remind you that our God accomplishes incredible things. Sarah had a baby at age 99… Mary conceived Jesus without a man… Moses raised his staff and parted the Red Sea… Elijah and the widow of Zarephath lived for a year off a small jar of flour and a bit of oil… a priest can turn plain ol’ bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ… all based on divine power.

God doesn’t want us for our qualifications or expertise. He calls us to follow him in Christ’s ministry because he loves us and because we have been shaped by particular experiences—and by sharing those experiences and our faith-filled response to them, with the Lord’s help, we can touch souls and draw people to God’s grace and peace.

Just the way Christ’s passion and cross led to his glory, so our pain and helplessness can put us on the path to our own.

So yes, think about your own struggles and pain. Not to be depressed, but to see the possibilities where the Lord can use you and your experiences to bring good and blessing to our world.

Yes, as Jesus says, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And just think: it may be your hand that he’s talking about.