Mk 3:13-19
He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons.
So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Then he went home.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Forgive Everyone
Jesus summoned “those whom he wanted.” Even Judas. The one who refuses and betrays. While a real character in the lifetime of Jesus, he is one of the symbolic characters in the Gospel stories that call us to wonder about our own traits and dispositions in a deeply personal way. Where, like Judas, do I turn away from the Light? Ignatian contemplation invites us to use our senses to enter the scene. Be with Judas today, let him tell his story, and remember Jesus’s summoned him as Apostle.
In our divisive time, what person or account do I need to take the time to listen to for understanding? I am challenged today to pray, even for my “enemies.” Christ welcomes us all to the table. What is our response?
—Rita Dollard O’Malley is associate provincial assistant for Ignatian Spirituality for the Midwest Jesuits.
Prayer
God of divine mercy and grace, and parent of us all,
We call upon you at this hour
Asking for your wisdom and the power of your presence
We lament the sorrow; we lament the violence; we lament the suffering
We lament the victims and perpetrators of terror and war.
We acknowledge our interdependence and participation in suffering
You taught us to pray for our enemies. Help Us God.
Beloved are these sisters and brothers of ours created in your image
Help Us (silence)
Though we struggle to understand —we hold them up in prayer.
Help Us (silence)
Help us, God, to love and forgive beyond the borders of our hearts.
—Rita Dollard O’Malley and DMin companions