Even Jesus makes mistakes? the call of the 12. Homily for Mass

Manila retreat 12

Mass The call of the 12 Apostles (Mk 3:13-19)

Jesus was about to accomplish the most important fact in the history of humanity: the salvation of the world. He knew that he could not possibly accomplish it in the few years available, he needed a structure, a group that would go beyond the centuries and the civilizations: the Church that would become the biggest and most powerful structure ever. As God he could have chosen better times, maybe be incarnated in today’s times where technology would have made his job easier and more effective, or at least chose the most powerful empire: Rome, or the most developed culture: the Greek, and instead he chose the smallest and most troubled nation: Israel and Judea.

In Israel he could have chosen as companions and successors the rich Sadducees, or the religious Pharisees, or some members with political connections with the king or with the Romans, and instead he chose simple people, mostly poor and illiterate, fishermen, tax collectors etc. They became Apostles and managed to convert the world, they overtook their problems because they knew how important was their mission, but especially they overtook all fears because they understood the meaning of Jesus’ words: “I will be with you till the end of time”, and “I will send you the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you”. Indeed the Holy Spirit is the one who made all things narrated in the Acts of the Apostles, possible. Even most of our founders were not the brightest people, nor from powerful families. And yet they too did great things only because they allowed the Holy Spirit work through them.

To form a group strong and successful you need unity among the members, so the best is to choose people with affinity, same culture, same social group, same political ideas. , he instead mixed up fishermen with country side people, tax collectors with zelots (terrorists); the quiet Bartholomew, and the angry type Boanerghes (James and John); Emotional people like Peter, cool like Jude, doubtful like Thomas, greedy like Judas. But he managed to make them one: what is the secret of his success? Of course quarrels were there, jealousies too but these things did not ruin the group.

In a society in which women could go out only if fully covered and accompanied by their husbands, he managed to have some women among the disciples, some of whom had even a doubtful reputation, but that too did not break the group. What is the secret?

The disciples were there for a purpose: Jesus. They were in love with him, they focused on him not on themselves or on the others. If we have a strong ideal to focus on and we consider this ideal the most important thing of all, then everything else becomes secondary and can help. But if we have no ideals, or our ideals are different, then clashes are inevitable.

The topic was “community”. Community is fulfilled if we build around a strong ideal and that is Christ. If there is no Christ then we become a group and our houses hotels where we live for our convenience, and where we stay as long as it is convenient.

During this Mass we will be invited to exchange a sign of peace, may that sign signify Jesus taking over our relationships, heal our divisions, rid us of our jealousies and pride and bring to our community the peace, not as the world understands it but “His” peace.