Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Luke’s Gospel is a gospel of prayer. He often presents Jesus at prayer at important points in his ministry: at his baptism (Lk 3:21); at the choice of the Twelve (Luke 6:12); before Peter’s confession (Lk 9:18); at the transfiguration (Lk 9:28; when he teaches his disciples to pray (Lk 11:1; at the Last Supper (Lk 22:32); on the Mount of Olives (Lk22:41); on the cross (Lk 23:46).

After praying the night in prayer Jesus calls twelve apostles who will accompany him and bear witness to his mission. Why does he pray before important times like this? Why should we pray before important times?

Yes, we need wisdom and strength for what we have to do, but prayer should be,, most of all, an acknowledgement of God’s plan and God’s will. “Your will be done,” was an essential part of the prayer of Jesus. It should be essential to our prayer too.

We pray for many things, but most of all, we pray that God’s will, infinitely wiser and infinitely better than our own, be done.

Today’s readings