A Reflection on Luke 6:12-16
Have you ever
wondered what Jesus was thinking about during that long night of prayer before
He chose His apostles? Luke tells us something beautiful: Jesus went up to the
mountain and spent the entire night in prayer to God. The whole night! Imagine
our Lord under the stars, talking with His Father, preparing for one of the
most important decisions in human history. He wasn't just picking a team; He
was choosing the men who would carry His message to the ends of the earth, who
would be with Him through miracles and suffering, and who would become the
foundation of His Church. This wasn't a quick decision made on a whim. Jesus
shows us that the most important choices in life require deep prayer and time
with God.
When morning came,
Jesus called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He named
apostles. Look at that list of names: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip,
Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot,
Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot. These weren't powerful politicians or
wealthy merchants or famous scholars. They were fishermen, a tax collector,
ordinary men with different personalities and backgrounds. Some were
hot-tempered, some doubted, and one would even betray Him. But Jesus looked at each
one with love and saw what they could become through God's grace. He didn't
choose perfect people; He chose willing hearts that He could transform. And
that's the same way Jesus looks at each of us today.
Here's something
amazing to consider when we pray the Rosary: we're actually walking alongside
these very apostles! The twenty mysteries of the Rosary, the Joyful, Luminous,
Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, tell the story that these twelve men
witnessed firsthand. When we meditate on the Annunciation, we're remembering
what the apostles later learned about Jesus's miraculous birth. When we pray
the Luminous Mysteries, we're there with Peter, James, and John at the
Transfiguration. When we hold the beads during the Sorrowful Mysteries, we're
standing with John at the foot of the Cross. And when we celebrate the Glorious
Mysteries, we're rejoicing with them at the Resurrection and receiving the Holy
Spirit with them at Pentecost. The Rosary isn't just prayers; it's the
apostles' story, the story they lived and died to tell us.
Think about how
Mary, our Blessed Mother, fits into this beautiful picture. She was there when
Jesus chose the twelve. She watched Him pray through the night, and she trusted
His choices even when they seemed surprising. Later, after Jesus ascended to Heaven,
the apostles gathered in the Upper Room with Mary, praying together and waiting
for the Holy Spirit. When we pray the Rosary, we're joining that same circle of
prayer with Mary and the apostles. We're part of their family! Just as Jesus
carefully chose each apostle for a special mission, He has chosen each of us, yes,
you and me, for a special purpose in His plan. We might not be one of the
original twelve, but through our Baptism, we're all called to be His disciples,
to share His love with others.
So the next time you
hold your Rosary, remember that night on the mountain when Jesus prayed for
hours, asking His Father to guide Him in choosing the apostles. Remember that
Jesus chooses each of us, too, not because we're perfect, but because He sees the
saints we can become. As you pray each Hail Mary, imagine Mary smiling at you
the same way she smiled at Peter and John, encouraging you to follow her Son
with courage and love. The twelve apostles changed the world not because they
were extraordinary, but because they said yes to Jesus and stayed close to Him,
and to His Mother, in prayer. That's all Jesus asks of us: to spend time with
Him in prayer, to say yes to His call, and to trust that He can do
extraordinary things through ordinary people like you and me.
©2025 James Dacey, Jr., OFS
