Deep evidence of life

The manifestation of Jesus in the lives of those who are called to follow Him is celebrated in the letter of Paul to the Colossians from the texts of the Roman CatholicLectionary today. The believers to whom Paul writes have experienced a transformation of their lives which is described as a spiritual circumcision in which they are permanently identified as belonging to the Body of Christ. This change transcends our human experience and is living in the fullness of freedom from our own passion for privilege, power, position and self gratification. The nature of our Creator praised by the psalmist as slow to anger and steadfast in Love becomes intimate to our being through our life in the Body of Christ. The Gospel from Luke refers to twelve among Jesus who have been developing an intimate relationship with Jesus, through their calling as disciples, who follow Jesus as He preaches, teaches and heals. The Presence of Jesus moves the crowd to thanksgiving like that of the psalmist and Paul which begins the healing of trust in God and abandonment of our faith in the flawed philosophies, ideas and movements of humans. Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D presents scholarship to show the development of “twelve, whom he also named apostles” as a mission to be emissaries of Jesus after a period of growth as disciples through which the intimate relationship the Word made flesh establishes the attitude of praise, thanksgiving and surrender which presents Jesus to others. This apostolic person is not a member of a select group in the sense of the Twelve tribes of Israel but is a way of identifying those who are most open to be Christ in their environments.