Jesus Chooses Ordinary People After Prayer

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

There is something easy to miss in today’s Gospel. Before Jesus chooses the Twelve, He spends the whole night in prayer. He does not rush the decision. He does not simply pick the loudest, the smartest, or the most impressive. He prays, and then He chooses. And among those chosen are Simon and Jude – two apostles we actually know very little about. That itself is worth thinking about. We often assume that if God really wants to use someone, that person must be extraordinary, visible, gifted, or unforgettable. But the Gospel gives us another picture: God often chooses people whose names are barely remembered, yet whose fidelity matters eternally.

Simon is called “the Zealot,” which probably means he came from a strong political and religious background. Jude is not Judas Iscariot, but another apostle, often remembered as the patron of difficult or hopeless causes. These two men were different, and yet Jesus called them into the same community. That is one of the quiet miracles of the Church. Jesus does not build His Church by gathering people who already agree on everything. He gathers people who are willing to follow Him. The centre is not their personality, background, or preference. The centre is Christ.

And maybe that is the challenge for us today: stop asking whether we are impressive enough, and start asking whether we are available. Simon and Jude remind us that holiness is not about being famous in the Church. It is about being faithful in the place where Jesus has put us. Some people will preach to thousands. Some will quietly care for a family. Some will teach, serve, forgive, visit the sick, encourage one person, or pray when nobody sees. Heaven does not measure importance the way the world does.

There is also something deeply comforting in the fact that Jesus prayed before calling them. Your vocation, your life, your place in the Church are not accidents. God is not careless with people. Even when you do not understand why your life has taken a certain path, you are not forgotten. The same Jesus who spent the night in prayer before choosing the apostles sees the hidden parts of your life too. And perhaps the question is not, “Why am I here?” but, “Lord, how do You want me to be faithful here?”

Saints Simon and Jude were not the most famous apostles, but they belonged to Jesus, and that was enough. Maybe that is the invitation today: not to chase importance, but to choose faithfulness. Not to ask, “Will people remember me?” but, “Will I remain with Christ?” Because in the end, the greatest thing that can be said about any disciple is not that they were successful, admired, or noticed. It is simply this: Jesus called them, and they followed.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for calling ordinary people to belong to You. Free me from the need to be noticed or impressive. Give me the faithfulness of Saints Simon and Jude, the courage to follow where You lead, and the grace to trust that even a hidden life can be holy. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko