Answering the Call

 

  

 Lk 6:12-16

 The Twelve Apostles

¹² One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ¹³ When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: ¹⁴ Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, ¹⁶ Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

The Church honors Saints Simon and Jude today but for us Marists it is a very significant moment: Fr. Champagnat was called to the bedside of the dying teenager, Jean-Baptiste Montagne, whose ignorance of the Faith so appalled him that he then decided it was time to put his idea of gathering together a group of men to teach catechism into action, eventually evolving into the Marist Brothers who now serve in 83 countries and have thousands of lay Marists living, and walking with them in the footsteps of Jesus and Mary to make Jesus known and loved. It is a day for expressing our gratitude as well as for rededicating ourselves to our Marist Mission.

Bro. Rene

Dear God, grant us the zeal and strength to continue to vision and work of St. Marcellin to make Jesus known and loved. Amen.