The apostolic mission

The texts today from the Roman Catholic Lectionary present the announcement to the Jews and Gentiles of the twelve who would be apostles with special missions to bring Jesus to the world. The "Apostle to the Gentles", Paul, who was missing from the group in Luke's Gospel because he came to a personal relationship with Jesus after the Resurrection, is the inspiration of the Letter to the Colossians which outlines, in today's passage, the reality and the direction of life in intimate relationship with Jesus. This life will be abounding in thanksgiving for knowledge of the whole fullness of Deity that dwells bodily in Christ. The promise of this relationship is that we were buried with him in baptism,  and we are also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. The message to those who would follow Jesus is that the new healed life is life in Jesus. The apostolic mission is to live life as demonstration of this healing communion to which all are invited and from which the disciples draw life.