1. The Mass yesterday was celebrated for Marion Casarico and the Mass today was offered for Mary Bushert (both by Bill Lynch) as well as for all of you, the parishioners.
2. Sign ups available here: Confession sign up Mass sign up. Again, I ask that if you have been to Mass this week, you not sign up for now.
3. And another article recommendation, this time by Dr. Scott Hahn, and very renowned theologian. Read it here!
Today was the feast day of St. Matthias, the man who was selected by be the replacement for Judas. The manner of selection is pretty neat: Peter asks the group of 120 disciples for suggestions. He does require, however, that the men be those who followed Jesus all the way since the time of the ministry of John the Baptism. After two suggestions are made, the Apostles leave the final decision up to the Holy Spirit by drawing lots. So it's an interesting combination of human guidance and dependence on God.
The criteria given by Peter, that the men have followed Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry, points towards something very significant. That significant fact is that St. Matthias replaces Judas, he does not succeed him. That is, St. Matthias is not simply the successor of Judas; he's his replacement. Matthias is an Apostle, full stop. A regular bishop, meanwhile, is a successor of an Apostle. The honor of St. Matthias, however, is that he joins the ranks of the Apostles. He has their same authority and mission in founding the beginnings of Christianity. And that's why St. Peter required the long discipleship. The Apostle needs to be someone who heard the teaching of Jesus from his own lips, and saw his miracles and healings with his own eyes. An Apostle witnesses to what he has seen. (The successors, on the other hand, the bishops and their successors down through the ages, act as custodians for what they have received from others.)
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds the the Apostles of their great dignity, having been chosen as his friends, and then charges them to love with the same love as his. In the course of his discourse to them, He tells them, It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. He tells them that he chose them so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. It reminds me of the quote from St. Theresa of Avila: we give God a compliment when we ask him for great things. It's a compliment to request great things of him, because it acknowledges his great power and his great love.
Speaking of his great love, notice how Jesus describes his love for the Apostles: As the Father loves me, so I also love you. What an astounding comparison, that God the Father's love for his divine Son would be comparable for the love that God the Son has for us. Surely with that knowledge we must treasure every word, cling to every precept, dare every venture, and rejoice in every gift.
May God grant that we enter into the great gift of his love for us.