You're listening to I Pray with the Gospel on the St. Jose Maria Institute podcast.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me.

I adore you with profound reverence.

Ask your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my Father, and Lord,

my guardian angel, intercede for me.

The Feast of St. Simon and Jude.

A reading from the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6.

In those days, he went out to the mountain to pray,

and all night he continued in prayer to God,

and when it was day he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, who he named apostles,

Simon who he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James, and John and Philip,

and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James, the son of son of Elfius and Simon who is called the zealot and Judas the son of James and Judas Ascariot who became a traitor Jesus prayed the whole night. He prayed for the new apostles he was going to call that day.

They were going to be given great responsibilities.

Jesus had many disciples, but only 12 apostles. He was surrounded by thousands, but only these 12 were given the special missions.

That doesn't mean that the other disciples were just second class.

In a family too, there are no second class members, but neither do they have the same

roles and responsibilities.

A football team with 11 players in the same position would never work.

When Jesus chose his 12, no one came to complain to him that they hadn't been chosen,

or because they were better than Peter, or joined him before Matthew.

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