God’s Election
January 24, 2025 - Friday, Memorial of Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Mark 3:13-19
Jesus is on an urgent mission to proclaim God’s kingdom, and He needs collaborators. By choosing exactly twelve disciples, He evokes the story of Jacob—also called Israel—and his twelve sons. These sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel, the original people of God. Now, Jesus is forming a new Israel, a new people of God, not through human lineage but through the proclamation of the Gospel. This new community will not be confined to one nation but will extend to all nations.
The first thing we notice is that it was Jesus who chose the twelve, not the other way around. We often talk about people searching for God, but Scripture shows us the opposite: God searches for people. He chose Abraham, Moses, and David, and now Jesus chooses His disciples. He called them, and they came.
Second, the twelve are described as His companions and messengers. Their first task is to be with Him. In the ancient world, apprenticeship was the way to learn. You lived with a master to absorb not only knowledge but also a way of life. The disciples learned deeply, even through their failures. In Acts of the Apostles, we read how Peter and John’s boldness astonished the Jewish leaders, who recognized that these men had been with Jesus.
Finally, the twelve are sent out. As apprentices of the missionary God, they learn the content of the Gospel and how to preach it by being with Jesus. They are also equipped with His authority to free people from the destructive powers of evil. Through their proclamation of the Gospel, they reclaim humanity for God.
This Gospel raises vital questions for us today. First, how can we be with Jesus now? How can we build an intimate relationship with Him in our daily lives? Second, how do we, as the Church and God’s people, proclaim the Gospel today? Does our preaching still carry the liberating power it did two thousand years ago? And if not, why not?
These questions challenge us to examine our discipleship. Are we truly spending time with Jesus, learning from Him as His first disciples did? Are we bold in proclaiming the Gospel, trusting in the power and authority He has given us? As we reflect, let us commit to deepening our relationship with Jesus and sharing His message with renewed passion and conviction.