Homily of His Excellency Msgr Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The similarity between the work of Jesus and that of the Apostles is striking. And it is in the community of the Apostles that Jesus can be discovered, present and active.
1- Teaching and action
These two terms summarize the identity of Jesus. He passed through this world doing good, teaching and doing miracles. The power given to the Apostles makes them identical with Jesus by grace, whereas Jesus was identical with God the Father by nature. He is the Son of God by nature, but the disciples become so by adoption and by the grace of the Holy Spirit received at their baptism.
2- The call of the Apostles
The Evangelist then provides us with the list of the twelve Apostles. This is not to remind us of the Apostles, but to awaken in us the desire to become Apostles in our turn, following this same Jesus, Master and Lord.
We are at the beginning of Jesus' mission, relayed by the Twelve. Who are the disciples that Jesus calls? They are ordinary men. They met Jesus in the midst of their daily lives. He calls them to himself, but to send them out to others. He invites them to be holy as the Father is holy (cf. Mt 5:44-48).
3- The universality of salvation
This is why we see that they are sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; the Samaritans themselves are excluded from this mission. But gradually, the announcement becomes universal. At the end of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the Apostles: “Go to all nations and teach them what I have taught you, and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit....”.
It is the Father's will that salvation should reach all of humanity. Jesus came to proclaim this dream of the Father and offered his life to make it come true. After his resurrection and ascension, he sent the Spirit from the Father to give strength and courage to his disciples. He stayed with his disciples, and will stay with them until the end of the world.
The Lord loves us, not because we're perfect, but because we are his. He loves us right where we are. His call is not an additional duty. It is a call to love. He calls disciples, however different they may be, because he loves them. He sends them on mission because his love wants to spread to others. The call and the mission are ultimately simple... they are a “yes” to the Lord, starting from our weaknesses.
Prayer
Lord, you called twelve men to bring your Good News to the world. You also call me like them. Awaken in me this awareness of my mission in the world.
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus