When Jesus first summoned and named the apostles (Mk 3:13), all hell broke loose. Jesus' relatives declared He was out of His mind (Mk 3:21), and the religious leaders claimed He was possessed by the devil (Mk 3:22).
When "Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits" (Mk 6:7), Mark believed that all hell broke loose again, for, at this point in his Gospel, Mark inserted the account of Herod's beheading of John the Baptizer (Mk 6:14ff).
When Jesus, through Pope John XXIII, summoned the successors of the apostles, that is, the bishops of the world, at the Second Vatican Council, all hell seems to have broken loose.
Jesus, however, has never let that bother Him. When all hell breaks loose, Jesus summons and gathers His apostles once again (see Mk 6:30ff). He shepherds, teaches, and feeds His Church. He does a miracle of multiplication (see Mk 6:41ff) and "makes all things work together for the good of those who love" Him (Rm 8:28).
Jesus works through His Church, which holds the keys to God's kingdom (Mt 16:19). She can attack the gates of hell, which cannot prevail against her (Mt 16:18). Our bishops, as successors of the apostles, and we, who are under their authority, are a threat to the devil. The apostolic Church has authority and victory. Love the Church (Eph 5:25), her Head Jesus Christ, and her bishops.
| PRAYER: | Father, may I, as a member of the Church, be such a threat to the devil that all hell breaks loose and all hell is defeated. |
| PROMISE: | "Through [Jesus] let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips which acknowledge His name." –Heb 13:15 |
| PRAISE: | Ron burned his pornographic magazines and gave his life to Jesus. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College