First Reading (Hebrews 8:6-13).
Reading of the Letter to the Hebrews.
Brethren, now Christ has a superior ministry. For he is the mediator of a much better alliance, based on better promises. In fact, if the first covenant were without defect, there would be no attempt to establish a second one. In effect, God warns: “The days will come, says the Lord, when I will conclude a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I led them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not remain faithful to my covenant; therefore, I did not care for them, says the Lord. : I will put my laws in their minds and I will engrave them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. No one will teach their neighbor, not even their brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord!’. will know, from the least to the greatest. For I will have mercy on their trespasses, and I will remember their sins no more.” Thus, when speaking of a new covenant, he declared the first one old. Now, what ages and becomes old-fashioned is about to disappear.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Mark 3,13-19).
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus went up the mountain and called those he wanted. And they went to him. Then Jesus appointed Twelve, to stay with him and to send them out to preach, with authority to cast out demons. He therefore appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he called Peter; James and John, sons of Zebedee, whom he named Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the one who later betrayed him.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters in Christ, in this liturgy we are invited to reflect on God’s invitation to each of us, an invitation that calls us to a deep and transformative relationship with Him. Today’s readings, taken from the letter to the Hebrews and the Gospel of Mark, challenge us to understand the new covenant that Christ established with us and the way in which He chooses us to be His collaborators in the plan of salvation.
Let’s start by reading the letter to the Hebrews. The author tells us of a new covenant, a better covenant than the old, based on more excellent promises. He tells us: “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, as He is the mediator of a superior covenant, established on better promises.” What meaning does this have for us?
To understand, we need to go back in time and reflect on the Old Testament. The old covenant was that between God and the people of Israel, mediated by the law and the sacrifices of the temple. But, as we know, this pact, although holy and good, was not capable of profoundly transforming the hearts of men. He was like a shadow of what was to come – the fullness of salvation offered by Christ. The old covenant was based on obedience to a law written on stones, while the new covenant, mediated by Christ, is established in a heart of flesh, capable of loving and forgiving.
The author of Hebrews reminds us that, in this new covenant, God writes His law in our hearts. He no longer requires animal sacrifices, but the perfect and eternal sacrifice of His Son, who, by His death on the cross, sealed this covenant of mercy and love. Jesus, as the mediator of this covenant, offers us forgiveness and transformation, not by the force of the law, but by the force of His love. It is no longer about blind obedience to external rules, but about internalizing God’s will in our hearts.
This transformation begins within us. God no longer wants mechanistic obedience, but a heart willing to live His will. He wants to transform our lives and make us people who love as He loves, who forgive as He forgives, who have compassion as He has compassion. The new covenant is an invitation to a living experience of God in our hearts, to a deep relationship with Him that transforms us from the inside out.
Now, let’s go to Mark’s gospel, where we see the moment when Jesus calls His disciples. He goes up to the mountain and, there, chooses twelve men to be with Him and to send them to preach. It is interesting to note that Jesus chooses the twelve not by their merits, but by His will. He does not choose the wise, the powerful or the religious leaders of the time. He chooses simple men, fishermen, common people. And, from these people, He begins to build His Church, the community of His followers.
This gesture of Jesus reveals something profound about His love and His vision for the Kingdom of God. Jesus does not call the perfect, but the willing. He does not call those who have all the answers, but those who have an open heart. He does not call those who think they are capable, but those who, on the contrary, recognize their limitations and their need for God.
Each of those twelve disciples had their weaknesses and failures. Peter was impulsive, James and John were hot-tempered, Judas betrayed. But in the heart of Christ there was a vision of a Kingdom that would not be founded on human perfection, but on the grace of God. He calls these men to be His collaborators in building the Kingdom, trusting them despite their failures.
That calling, my brothers and sisters, is the same for each of us today. Jesus calls us to be His disciples, not because we are perfect, but because He loves us and wants us by His side. He wants us to be part of His mission in the world, the mission of spreading God’s love and salvation. Just as He chose the twelve, He chooses us too. He does not look at our failures or limitations, but at our heart willing to follow Him.
Jesus calls us to be with Him and to be sent. This “being with Him” is more than a physical presence, it is a spiritual intimacy. Jesus wants us to walk with Him every day, to learn from Him, to become like Him. And this “being sent” is more than a mission to preach words, it is a mission to live the Gospel, to bring the good news of Christ to the world through our actions, our attitudes, our way of living.
What does this mean for us today? First, it means that, as disciples of Christ, we are called to live according to the new covenant. This means that in our hearts we must have God’s love, compassion and mercy. We need to allow God’s law to be written in our hearts, so that we can live according to His will, not in a rigid way, but with a transformed heart.
Second, we are called to be sent. God did not choose us to be isolated or to keep His grace just for ourselves. Just as Jesus sent the twelve, He also sends us to be His witnesses in the world. Our calling is to be light in the darkness, salt on the earth. The world around us is full of need – physical, emotional and spiritual. Jesus sends us to touch the lives of these people, to be instruments of His mercy and peace.
I know that we often feel inadequate for this mission. We think, “I’m not good enough. I have so many flaws.” But remember, Jesus does not call those perfect. He calls the willing. And when we are willing to follow Christ, He transforms us. He enables us to do things we could never do alone.
So my challenge to each of us today is this: Allow God’s new covenant to transform your life. Open your heart so that God’s law may be written in it. And, as disciples of Christ, let us be sent to be witnesses of His mercy in the world. That, in every gesture, in every word, in every action, we can reflect the love of Christ and build His Kingdom of peace and justice.
That, just as Jesus chose the twelve, He also chooses us, and that we can respond to His call with courage and confidence. May God’s grace strengthen us and may His mercy transform us, so that we may always be more faithful to Him.
Amen.
