Friday, 28 October 2016 - Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

Reading 1 EPH 2:19-22

Brothers and sisters:
You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God, 
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone.
Through him the whole structure is held together
and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord;
in him you also are being built together
into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Responsorial Psalm PS 19:2-3, 4-5

R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

Alleluia - See Te Deum

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 6:12-16

Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,
Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

REFLECTION 

APOSTLES OF TRUTH

Jesus "went out to the mountain to pray, spending the night in communion with God. At daybreak He called His disciples and selected twelve of them to be His apostles." –Luke 6:12-13

One Bread, One Body - Reflection for October 28, 2016

How do we know which books are in the Bible? The Church has been given the authority to say which books are in the Bible. How do we know which church is the true Church? The Church which can trace its origins back to the apostles is the true Church because Jesus founded the Church on the apostles (Eph 2:20; Lk 6:13). Therefore, without the apostolicity of the Church, we would not know which books are in the Bible.

Many holy and learned Christians sincerely don't believe that Jesus gives us His body and blood in Holy Communion. Other Christians believe that Jesus literally meant "This is My body" and "This is My blood" (Mt 26:26, 28). Who is right? The Church alone is "the pillar and bulwark of truth" (1 Tm 3:15) and can decide this matter and thousands of other disagreements about interpreting the Bible. Once again, however, we must be able to recognize the true Church. The Church founded by Jesus is recognized by its apostolicity.

Because the apostolicity of the Church has such mammoth ramifications, we celebrate in a special way the feasts of the apostles, including today's feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. Today, we celebrate the true Church and its authority in service to the truth.

PRAYER:	Father, may the truth set me free (Jn 8:32).
PROMISE:	"In Him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit." –Eph 2:22
PRAISE:	Sts. Simon and Jude "went from village to village, spreading the good news everywhere and curing diseases" (Lk 9:6).