Chosen and Sent by Christ

Chosen and Sent by Christ

Reflection on Luke 6:12-19

In today’s Gospel from Luke 6:12-19, we see two very important moments in the life of Jesus and His mission. First, He spends the whole night in prayer to His Father. Second, after that prayer, He calls His disciples together and chooses twelve of them to be His apostles. These two actions—prayer and mission—are deeply connected.

Before making a great decision, Jesus turns to His Father in prayer. This shows us the importance of grounding our choices in God’s will, not just in our own desires. We live in a world that often urges us to decide quickly, to act based on feelings or pressures, but Jesus teaches us to pause, to listen, and to let God guide us. How different would our lives be if we prayed more before acting, especially in the big moments of life?

Then, from His prayer, Jesus chooses the Twelve. These were ordinary men—fishermen, tax collectors, people with weaknesses and failures—yet Jesus entrusted them with His mission. This is a reminder that God does not call the perfect; He perfects those He calls. Just as the apostles were chosen, each of us is chosen through baptism to share in Christ’s mission. Whether in our families, workplaces, or communities, we are called to bring Christ’s healing and presence to others.

Finally, the Gospel shows crowds of people coming to Jesus with their illnesses and sufferings, and they are healed. Notice how the flow moves: from prayer, to mission, to healing. This is the pattern of Christian life. We pray, we receive God’s guidance, and then we act in service, allowing God’s grace to flow through us to touch the lives of others.

Key Takeaway: Like the apostles, we are chosen by Christ not because of our greatness but because of His love. When we root our lives in prayer, we open ourselves to His mission and allow Him to heal others through us.

Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You spent the night in prayer and chose Your apostles to continue Your mission. Teach us to listen to the Father’s voice in prayer, to accept our calling with humility, and to be instruments of Your healing and love in the world. Strengthen us to be faithful disciples, chosen and sent by You. Amen.