Apostleship: Following the Call
Thursday, January 2, 2025
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gives to me eleven pipers piping.
These eleven lords represent the eleven apostles who doubted, yet remained faithful to Christ.
When crisis comes into our lives, we often retreat into hiding, taking our fear and exhaustion with us. We revert to what we know and do well; just as Peter and the other fishermen-followers did when they returned to their boats after the horrible events of Holy Week in Jerusalem. Like the story in John 21, we flounder in our boats while Jesus stands “on the shore” of our lives. Like the apostles in this story, we too often do not recognize the faithful Jesus. After fishing all night in the dark, we – like the apostles – remain frightened. Jesus calls to us, saying, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” We answer, as the apostle did, “No?” And Jesus says, “Cast the net over the right side”. We roll our eyes as we might guess the apostles did. But when we do as Jesus asks, we haul up the net that is “not torn . . . even though it was full of so many” fish. Then we, like Peter, must take the leap over the side of the boat and flail to shore . . . because there Christ is waiting with the brazier of live coals to cook us a meal, to bring us comfort, to open The Word to us, to free us from oppression, to raise us from the dead. And when Christ asks, “Do you love me?” we, like Peter who days earlier had denied that he knew Christ, must respond, “You know that I love you”. It is then that we will be told what and how to do: Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep, follow me.
And we must follow. We must take the leap when Christ calls us from the shoreline. We must have faith and we must choose to enact our faith as the faithful followers did. We must cast our nets even though we have been at the task all day and all night without finding success. When we hear the call, we must step out into the water and fly to the shore, because there is truly nothing else more important. This is where the salvation of humankind lies.
Adapted from a reflection on apostleship written on April 22, 2007.
According to tradition, the remaining eleven continued to follow Christ in this world as they continued to build the Kingdom. Tradition also tells us that the faithful eleven continued to preach The Word all the days of their lives. Some died violently, others did not. For more details, and for short video clips about the facts we know, use the links below, or visit: http://www.catholic.org/saints/
- Simon, called Peter (rock) was crucified on Vatican Hill in Rome.
- Andrew, Peter’s brother was executed in the city of Patras, Greece.
- James, son of Zebedee, brother of John was decapitated in Jerusalem.
- John, son of Zebedee, brother of James died in Ephesus in about the year 98 C.E.
- Philip was crucified in Hierapolis, Greece.
- Bartholomew, called Nathaniel was flayed and beheaded in Abanopolis.
- Thomas (referred to as the doubter) preached in India and was killed in a hunting accident
- Matthew, the tax collector, called Levi, Matthew, the Evangelist preached in Persia and Africa, and we have no information about his death.
- James, the son of Alphaeus, also named The Less or The Just was executed in Jerusalem.
- Thaddeus, the son of James, called Judas/Jude (not the betrayer), brother of James the Less visited Beirut and Edessa, and was likely martyred with Simon.
- Simon, the Zealot was likely executed in Jerusalem.
- In Matthew 27:5 we learn that Judas hanged himself; but in Acts 1:18, his death is described as resulting from a fall. As always, those who explore Scripture are invited to read, reflect, and meditate on The Word that Christ brings to us as his followers.
For fascinating articles on where the remains of these followers lie today, click the images above, or visit: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/tcraughwell/where-are-the-12-apostles-now or https://aleteia.org/2017/07/21/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles/
Images from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Synaxis_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_by_Constantinople_master_%28early_14th_c.,_Pushkin_museum%29.jpg and https://www.antiquesandthearts.com/nicholas-poussin-acramentacquired-by-kimbell-museum/
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