Last Sunday’s gospel reported to us the rejection of Jesus by His own townspeople. Today, we are given a profile of those who believed in Him. From among His followers, Jesus chooses the Twelve, His band of intimate friends. The Twelve together with the other disciples are Jesus’ true family and community. This is an amazing story. Jesus just takes twelve ordinary people, and he says, “Okay, go to it now.” Why? Because the future is yours, not mine, you see. “I will be with you all days, even to the end of time.” That is true. “I will comfort you. I will never leave you.” And yet you must do it alone, or you will feel that you are doing it alone. Because the only way the word of God will reach the ends of the earth is through, not Jesus, but through men and women who take their lives seriously and who live their lives seriously. By their work and their prayer and their commitment, the word of God is spread, and spreads out through the whole world and from generation to generation. So never ask: “When is God going to do this? When is God going to do that? When is the parish going to do this? When is the parish going to do that?” Because the answer is that each one of us is supposed to do it right now. One of the excuses we bring up is that we are not qualified! We forget that ‘qualification’ is within our reach. What we must learn to do is to love the other person as Jesus loves him/her, not as you love him, but as Jesus loves him/her. And so, the first thing in evangelization if you want to save the world is: sit and listen and learn from people, especially the ones who need to be sat with, and you need to learn from them and the ones that you will ‘learn’ deeply - you will love them. Jesus instructs his disciples to take nothing for the journey especially of comforts and security like food, travelling bag and money. When he sends the Twelve to preach, He tells them to take only the minimum requirements for the journey: walking stick and a pair of sandals which can give protection against wild beasts and snakes and the rough roads of Palestine at that time. He urges His disciples to travel light for greater mobility and availability in their mission. Their focus is on proclaiming the Good News and must be free from encumbering baggage. All of us are called by God to be missionaries, proclaimers, and witnesses to others of His Words. Vatican II document entitled Apostolican Actuositatem (on the Apostolate of the Laity) no. 3 said: “Incorporated into Christ’s Mystical Body through Baptism and strengthened by the Spirit through Confirmation, the laity are assigned to the apostolate by the Lord Himself.” So, whether you are an accountant, a lawyer, a clerk, a doctor, a musician, or an executive, a teacher or whatever, you are sent out “to preach, heal, teach and witness to the good news,” in short, to evangelize. The motto of our Parish is: From His heart to Others through Us. Let me conclude with these words from St. Mother Theresa: To do the work of Christ is really quite simple. It means to be faithful in little things, for to be faithful in little things is a big thing. It means to do one’s task, no matter how humble it may be, not only thoroughly but joyfully. It means to make oneself available, yet never to seek the limelight. It means to strive to make oneself useful without seeking to push oneself. It means to carry one’s burden, without, as far as possible, becoming a burden on others. In a word it means to be at one’s post, helpful and faithful, loyal, and constant. Be blessed, Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.