Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out 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 him. Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
The Word in other words
Jesus called His twelve disciples, gave them authority over unclean spirits and all manner of diseases and commanded them to go out and proclaim the Good News: "The Kingdom of God is at hand."
During His time on earth, Jesus gradually revealed the vision and demands of the Kingdom of God. God's Kingdom brings transformation, especially the transformation of human relationships. It grows gradually as people learn to love, forgive, and serve one another. With the outpouring of the Spirit at baptism, we are empowered to proclaim and witness the Good News of God's Kingdom.
Another important aspect of God's Kingdom is its universality. It is everyone's concern- individuals, communities, parishes, families and society. Working to establish God's Kingdom means acknowledging and promoting God's activity in everyday life. As we say in the Our Father, it is about forgiving one another and working for liberation from all forms of evil.
We are called through baptism to be disciples of Christ. Being a disciple of Jesus is about the values we live by, the attitudes we have as we go about raising a family, earning a living, or being involved in church or community activities. The transformation of society doesn't just take place in the church. It happens also in the marketplace where people are meeting, doing business, debating, and even relaxing. We can ask ourselves if we, as believing followers of Jesus, are putting into practice our commitment to the Gospel or if we have an impact on any sphere of life.
All of us have been given a share in the same Spirit, at baptism and confirmation, to enable us to be disciples, announcing the Good News, in our day, time, and place. The context of each one's life is unique but it contains the opportunities for living out the faith, witnessing to the presence of Jesus in our lives an in our hearts and, as a result, influencing whatever sphere of life we are in.
- Fr. Alex Muana, SVD ( South Africa)
