Ephesians 2:19-22, Psalm 19:2-5, Luke 6:12-16
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"A CHOSEN RACE" (1 Pt 2:9)
"He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His
apostles." —Luke 6:13
Jesus called a number of disciples together and chose twelve to be His
apostles (Lk 6:13), the ones He would specially form and mold into the
foundation of His Church (Eph 2:20; Rv 21:14). The entire basis for the
Church rests on the fact that Jesus selected some for special leadership.
This means that the Church is not a democracy, nor did Jesus intend for it
to be one.
This didn't mean that Jesus snubbed the other disciples who were not
chosen for apostleship. On the contrary, after sending the twelve out on
mission (Lk 9:1ff), He "appointed a further seventy-two and sent them in
pairs before Him to every town and place He intended to visit" (Lk 10:1).
Jesus made a point to tell these seventy-two to "remember" that He Himself
was sending them (Lk 10:3). If we "remember" what Jesus sends us to do, we
are less likely to fall into the trap of comparing our status to that of
others (see Jn 21:21). The Twelve themselves fell into this trap on
several occasions (e.g. Mt 20:24).
"Because [we] are God's chosen ones" (Col 3:12), we will do "only what the
Lord assigned" us (1 Cor 3:5). We will gladly support others whom the Lord
has chosen, including the apostles and their successors, the bishops, who
are leading the life the Lord assigned them (1 Cor 7:17). When we do this,
we are "fitted together and [take] shape as a holy temple in the Lord"
(Eph 2:21). "God has set each member of the body in the place He wanted it
to be" (1 Cor 12:18). Love the Church as Jesus does (Eph 5:25).
Prayer: Father, thank You for calling me to belong to Your body. I devote
myself to the health and strength of Your Church.
Promise: "You are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the
household of God." —Eph 2:19
Praise: Sts. Simon and Jude had important places in the early Church and
eternal places in the New Jerusalem.
(This teaching was submitted by a member of our editorial team.)
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Rescript: In accord with the "Code of Canon Law", I hereby grant my
permission to publish "One Bread, One Body" covering the period from
October 1, 2009 through November 30, 2009
†Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, June 3, 2009
The rescript is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be
free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have
granted ecclesial permission agree with the contents, opinions, or
statements expressed.
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