Monday in the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 13, 2026

Matthew 10, 34-42; 11, 1

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.  Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”   When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

The words for today’s Gospel Reading are taken from the very end of the Lord’s counsels to the Apostles before their first mission.  St. Matthew has just recorded the Lord’s prophecy of the persecution they will face one day for their faith in him.

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.”  Even on the heels of the Lord’s prophecy about persecution this comes abruptly.  First, because Jesus speaks of himself as “I have come” into the world, that is, deliberately choosing to come into the world, which, of course, no mortal human being can do.  The Lord refers here to his pre-existence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Second, Jesus speaks of the expectations of those who believe in him, that he, the Messiah, will bring peace to Israel with the successful revolt against Rome.  These words at the very end of this discourse are what the discourse is really all about.  He will work through his Apostles, who are the “sheep” sent among the wolves of the world, to bring about the conversions of many.  The wolves will not take this threat to their domain lightly and will react with terrible violence.  In this way, the Lord brings a “sword” into the world: the Gospel, which disrupts the kingdom of the wolves: “The word of God is living and effectual and more piercing than any two edged sword” (Hebrews 4, 12).  The Lord continues, “For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household.”  He uses a figure of speech to say that the Gospel will be opposed by the wicked of the world, and they will attack those who believe in it.  The wicked, hating Jesus, will attack him through those who believe in his words.  And it will be revealed that many of the wicked are of one’s own family and neighbors.  This should not surprise us since some of the Lord’s own relatives and neighbors tried to kill him at Nazareth.

“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.”  The Lord has referred to his pre-existence with the Father in heaven, which would have stunned and shocked those who heard him.  He builds on that now making demands that no mere human being could make: he is to be the center of the lives of those who would belong to him, and no one else.  Not even Moses made a demand of this kind.  After hearing him say this. The Apostles must have wondered, “What manner of man is this?”, and then remembered, “for the winds and the sea obey him” (Matthew 8, 27).  “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”  That is, Whoever believes you believes in me.  The Apostle is the official herald of the Lord, and to believe the Lord’s announcement, made through the Apostle, is to believe in the Lord himself.  “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward.”  That is, a heavenly reward.  Here, “receiving” means “to learn from”.

“And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple– amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”  Jesus calls the Apostles — and those of us who are not among the great and the influential of the world — “little ones”.  It is not an insult but an endearment.

“When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.”  Matthew says, “in their towns”, not just “in the towns”, implying that Jesus came as an outsider or a foreigner, thus underlining the meaning of the Lord’s teaching that he had chosen to come into the world as one who pre-existed in heaven and did not belong to the world: “I came forth from the Father and am come into the world” (John 16, 28). 

The Lord has begun to teach the Apostles that he is greater than Moses and the Prophets, and next he will teach them that he is even greater than John the Baptist.

The Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, July 12, 2026

Matthew 13, 1–23

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”  The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them. But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”    

“On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.”  Earlier on this day, according to St. Matthew, Jesus had been teaching in “the house”, presumably that of St. Peter and his family, and his own Mother and relatives came from Nazareth to see him.  Unable to get through because of the crowd, they sent word to him that they had come, and the Lord used the occasion to teach that “whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12, 50).  Immediately after relating these words, Matthew reports, “On that day, Jesus went out of the house, etc.” Matthew does not tell us whether Jesus eventually met with his Mother and brethren and we are left to speculate.  

“Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.”  The Lord Jesus assumes the posture of the teacher by sitting, and the crowd as students by standing.  Very likely these crowds consisted mostly of people from other towns, given the relatively small population of Capernaum.  This tells us of the tremendous attraction the people felt for the Lord.  He taught them about God in simple ways, often using similes drawn from everyday life or the natural world.  He plainly did not do this for money, but out of love for his Father.  His words were underlined by the miracles he wrought, refusing no one’s request for healing or deliverance.  He was the preeminent sign for them that God was with his people, and they wanted to be with him.

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.”  The Lord himself gives a detailed explanation of this parable which is recorded in the latter part of this Reading.   We should note that this is the only parable which is told by all three of the Evangelists who give us the Lord’s parables (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and this tells us of the significance in which they — and the early Christians — held it.  In fact, it is the Lord’s explanation for why so many people would reject him.  Those early, zealous, adherents of the Lord Jesus were baffled by the refusal of the bulk of the Jews to believe in him.  The Gentiles to whom they preached would have wanted to know why they should believe in him when his own people did not.  This parable answers this question.  The fault lies not with the Lord or the Gospel he preached, but with the actions of the devil and the pride and other weaknesses of the fallen human race.  The Lord  divides these into three categories: the preference for sin (the seeds on the path); fear of the opinion of others (the seeds on rocky soil); and materialism / consumerism (the seeds among thorns).

The Apostles are curious about the Lord’s method of teaching through parables, which would seem to confuse rather than enlighten.  But the skillful the use of parables imparts greater understanding of a subject than a series of long lectures.  And the crowds could understand if they wanted.“Knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  That is, it is granted to the Apostles because they asked Jesus to explain the parables to them.  The crowds did not.  This reflects their faith, which grows through understanding, while those with little faith will lose what they have through a lack of interest in growing their understanding of heavenly mysteries.  The Lord continues: “This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see, and hear but do not listen or understand.”  That is, they look, but see only what they want to see, and they hear and understand only what they want to hear and understand.

How necessary it is for us to treasure and nourish our faith!  We should continually pray to persevere in it, and strengthen it by studying the teachings of the Lord as well as by reading the lives of the saints, those great heroes who went before us, full of faith, and who stand ready to help us with ours.

Saturday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 11, 2026

Matthew 10, 24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles: “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household! “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

The Lord continues his instruction of the Apostles before sending them out on their first mission.

In today’s Gospel Reading, the Lord speaks using the understanding held in ancient times that the one who precedes in one way precedes in all ways.  Knowing this helps us to know the Lord’s meaning when he later asks the question regarding Psalm 110: “How do the scribes say that Christ is the son of David? For David himself says by the Holy Spirit: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. David therefore himself calls him ‘Lord’. And whence is he then his son?” (Mark 12:35–37).  That is, since if David calls the Messiah his “son”, the Messiah cannot be greater than David.  But the Messiah is greater than David.  He is the “Son of Man” written about in the Book of Daniel.  Therefore, David could not be the “father” of the Messiah: God is.  So here, using this way of thinking, the Lord says, “No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master.”  That is, it is impossible for the student to be superior to his teacher and the slave to his master.  Now, that history provides us proof that many men and women exceeded their teachers is plain to see, but the Lord speaks according to the thinking of the people to whom he addresses his teaching.  And, because none of those whom he taught could surpass him in wisdom and knowledge, he says: “. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master.”  They become like them in their knowledge and ability through constant exposure to their teachings, opinions, and manner of behavior.  Thus, St. Paul says to the Christians of Corinth: “Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11, 1).  And Jesus himself to his followers: “Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart” (Matthew 11, 29).  He says, “Learn of me”, which is, Learn to be like me.  This teaching about teachers and students and masters and slaves leads to this saying: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his household!”  If you look and act and think like your teacher or master, do not be surprised if you are treated with the same honor or derision with which others treat your teacher and master.  Only, hold firm: “Therefore do not be afraid of them.”

“Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.”  The Lord means that at the end of the world, all will see who the Son of Man’s true servants are, and their glory shall be like his.  At the same time, the Lord counsels his Apostles to preach all that he has told them.  There are to be no secret teachings, or wisdom reserved for an elect, as in the gnostic and pagan sects current at the time.  Because the Lord does this himself, he can say to the leaders of the Jews: “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue and in the Temple, where all the Jews resort: and in secret I have spoken nothing” (John 18, 20).  Nothing is withheld so that a person’s salvation would be impeded or lost because of this.

“And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.”  He says, Do not be afraid of your persecutors, whose power I’d limited to this world.  If you are going to be afraid of anyone, be afraid of the one whose power is unlimited and can kill both body and soul.  But do not be afraid of your Father, who treasures you: “All the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid.”

“Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father.”  Personal allegiance was seen as exceedingly important in ancient times and remained so up until modern times when it has been replaced by threats and promises backed up by the ability to know a person’s words and movements through technological means.  But long ago, it was important to publicly acknowledge your allies and those to whom you owed fealty in such places as the marketplace or any meeting place.  In those times, a person’s identity was bound up with another’s, making personal betrayal the worst crime imaginable, and the one most ruthlessly punished.  To “acknowledge” the Lord Jesus, then, means to profess allegiance to him and also to imitate him in every possible way, no matter the consequences from his enemies.  As St. Peter wrote years later while in Rome, “Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2, 21).  

Friday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 10, 202(

Matthew 10, 16-23

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

In this Gospel Reading, Matthew presents the Lord continuing to instruct his Apostles before sending them out on their first mission.  This section of his instructions seems more to pertain to their going out after Pentecost to preach to the nations, and Matthew may have placed this here because it goes with the theme which he has taken up.

“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  The Lord Jesus is not an idealist.  He knows humanity so well that we should be thunderstruck that he willed to save it: “Jesus . . . knew all men, and . . .  he needed not that any should give testimony of man: for he knew what was in man” John 2, 24-25).  One sign of his will to save us is the sending out of the Apostles and, later, missionaries and teachers, as well as all those who work for the coming of the Kingdom.  Speaking frankly to the Apostles (and to us) about the bulk of humanity, he calls them “wolves”, predatory, relentless, destructive.  The Apostles are “like sheep” in that they imitate and represent the Lamb of God and because they are unacquainted with the pursuit of evil.  As “sheep” they will necessarily attract the wolves, but this is in order to convert them.  No one is converted afar off but only when drawn near to the truth.  “Be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.”  The serpent, apparently powerless, knows how to maneuver its body in such a way that it provides shelter and food for itself and reproduce.  “Simple as doves”, that is, innocent.

“But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.  “They will hand you over.”  Without a doubt they will do this.  But this will lead to the glory of God: “Now, brethren, I desire you should know that the things which have happened to me have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel so that my bonds are made manifest in Christ, in all the court and in all other places.  And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.” (Philippians 1, 12-24).  

“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say.”  That is, we should have a firm knowledge of what we believe: “being ready always to satisfy every one that asks you the reason for that hope which is in you” (1 Peter 3, 15), but not worrying about preparing speeches, relying on rhetoric rather than grace to deliver us.  “The Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”  We should not underestimate the gift of the Holy Spirit whom we received at Baptism and Confirmation.  He will speak for us powerfully when it is necessary for us and for others that he do so.

“Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.”  The Lord speaks more generally of persecution that will inevitably arise when the world feels threatened by the preaching of the truth.  “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”  Many people are hated in this world, but the Christian is hated for doing good.  It has indeed come to pass that brother has handed over brother and parents their children and so we should expect to suffer for the One who instructs those who would be saved to pick up our crosses and follow him, the Crucified One.  But perseverance in our faith will seal our deliverance from evil: “Blessed is the man who endures trials: for, when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1, 12). 

“When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”  The Lord counsels his followers to disperse in time of persecution if they are able to do so.  This not only preserves their lives but also provides new opportunity for spreading the Gospel.  For instance, after the stoning of St. Stephen, “there was raised a great persecution against the Church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed through the countries of Judea, and Samaria, except the Apostles . . . They therefore that were dispersed went about preaching the word of God” (Acts 8, 1; 4).  “Before the Son of Man comes.”  While it may have seemed to many on the early Church that this would certainly be accomplished within the lifetime of the Apostles, it has not.  Many places in Israel await evangelization.  We can also understand the Lord as prophesying that the Jews would convert before the end of the world, as indeed St. Paul preached: “I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in [to the Faith], and so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11, 25-26).

We pray that we may be good sheep in imitation of the Lamb who dwells in us through grace so that he may lead us to the everlasting pastures of heaven.

 Thursday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 9, 2026

Matthew 10, 7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

The instructions which the Lord gives to the Apostles on how to conduct themselves on their missionary journey basically tell them to go into town in such a way as to make it seem the residents were doing them a favor by receiving them, and that, in gratitude, the Apostles were to preach the Gospel and to cure the illnesses of those who dwelt there.  In this way the Apostles would imitate the Lord himself, who comes to us in the same way, as though it would be a favor to him if we were to accept eternal life from him.  We see an almost desperate love for us in this, but this is indeed how great is his love for us.

“The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  That is, the King has approached.  If we think of this literally, the townspeople, upon hearing this news, ought to have rushed out to greet their king.  They had been told that he was making his way to the town, perhaps on his way to a further destination, but in an age before instantaneous communication and quick transportation, no one could know the time of arrival.  Here, the king’s heralds come to the town to let them know that the king is a few miles away.  The people drop at once their usual daily business and rush out to greet their sovereign.  While they know this is a once in a lifetime chance for the king to receive a good impression on the town and for the townspeople to gain favors from him, they also know that failure to welcome him could result in their town’s destruction.

“Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.”  The Lord sends out his heralds as fugitives or as beggars, but it is the beggars who will enrich the populace with the Gospel and with the cure of the sick.  Still, after a few weeks of this life, the Apostles would certainly look haggard and as though they possessed nothing worth having.  “The laborer deserves his keep.”  The Lord coins or invokes a proverb indicating that the Apostles are to rely on those to whom they deliver the Gospel to house and feed them.  Coming in poverty to the towns would impress the people with their dedication to their message, and that they were not after profits for themselves.  Ultimately, God shows his great glory through our lowliness: “Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me” (2 Corinthians 12, 9).  “Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.”  That is, do not give the impression that you are ambitious for yourselves.  “As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”  The house is “worthy” if its inhabitants are faithful to God and eager to hear his message of salvation.  The Apostle’s peace “returns” to him in that his blessing takes no effect when the recipients are not faithful.

“Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.”  Inasmuch as the Apostle is the appointed emissary of Christ, this shaking of the dust is a sign of the Lord’s rejection of the house or town that has rejected him.  “Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”  The people of Sodom and Gomorrah broke the natural law written on their hearts, but the towns that reject Christ do so in the face of miracles which signify the veracity and urgency of the message to repent and believe.  This is the rejection of that grace which is necessary for salvation.

The Lord rejects no one out of hand or for some slight show of disrespect.  His desire for our salvation is so great that only our steadfast rejection of it can lose it for us.

Revelation part 1

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xMlmPQd8_6YsQ0AuDLVfsUkKBEBfIytp/view?usp=drivesdk

Here is the link to the first Bible Study Session on the Book of Revelation.

Wednesday in the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time, July 8, 2026

Matthew 10, 1-7

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.  Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

S. Matthew gives his list of the Apostles about a third of the way through his Gospel.  St. Mark gives his list very early in his Gospel.  St. Luke presents his about a quarter of the way through the Gospel he authored.  St. John does not present such a list at all but mentions the names of specific Apostles only when they are acting or speaking.  The purpose of listing the Apostles seems to be establishing authority within the Church.  The Lord Jesus had many disciples, but these twelve were those authorized to preach and to govern.  Perhaps St. John does not feel the need to provide such a list because he is writing for the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem, and he and St. Peter and St. James, the son of Alphaeus, are very much present there at that time, if not some of the others.  St. Mark seems to simply insert his list into his Gospel, but St. Luke reports the naming of the Twelve Apostles as a solemn act that Jesus performs after spending the previous night in prayer on a mountain.  St. Matthew does not mention this, but may allude to this when he says that Jesus “summoned” the twelve disciples.  Matthew refers to the Apostles is different ways.  For him, “the Apostles”, “the Twelve”, and “the disciples” are interchangeable terms, though the Lord Jesus was followed by a group separate from the Apostles whom the Evangelists also call “the disciples”.  These followed the Lord as students, but the Twelve were each called by Jesus on a particular occasion.

“Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out.”  Before he gives them the command to preach the Gospel to the nations, he gives them the authority to drive out demons.  This tells us of the importance of this ministry and also of the grave need for it.  He also gives them the authority “to cure every disease and every illness.”  The Lord Jesus excludes no disease or condition.  He shares his own power with them that they may perform the same deeds he has been performing.  These Apostles are not subordinates but partners and true representatives.  

“The names of the Twelve Apostles are these.”  It is noteworthy that the three Evangelists who provide lists of the Apostles generally have their names in the same order.  The few exceptions are interesting.  St. Mark, for instance, names St. Peter first, as do the others, but then lists St. James and St. John before listing Peter’s brother Andrew, whereas Matthew and Luke list Peter and Andrew together, presumably since they were brothers, but possibly also because Andrew was called first by Jesus, but Peter is listed first because he is older than Andrew but most importantly because he was the recognized leader of the Apostles.  Mark seems to list Peter, James and John together and then Andrew because the Lord often treated the first three as a group separate from the others.

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  The Lord begins first with the Jews and then, after they have largely rejected him, to the world.  But first, the Jews receive every possible chance to believe in him.  He says “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” on account of their abandonment by the priests who were commanded by the Lord to teach the Law to the people: “That you may teach the children of Israel all my ordinances which the Lord has spoken to them by the hand of Moses” (Leviticus 10, 11).

We rejoice in belonging to the one, holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church which the Son of God established to teach and to sanctify us so that we may enter into eternal life.

Personal Note: We have begun reading and studying the Book of Revelation in our parish Bible Study. I am recording these roughly hour-long sessions and I will be posting them on this blog for those who wish to learn more about this important but unfamiliar book. I hope to post later today or tomorrow.