Page:Jesus of Nazareth the story of His life simply told (1917).djvu/197

 He told them secrets not made known to the crowd. What He taught to others in parables He explained to them apart.

Our Blessed Lord made a very solemn preparation for this choice of His Apostles. The evening before, says St. Luke, "He went out into a mountain to pray, and He passed the whole night in the prayer of God," not because He needed prayer, but for our example, who need it very much when we have any important work to do or decision to take.

"And when day was come He called unto Him His disciples, whom He would Himself. And He made that twelve should be with Him that He might send them to preach." He gave them His own power to heal the sick, to cast out devils, to raise the dead, to forgive sins. When He was leaving the earth He bade them go into the whole world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He promised to send down upon them His Holy Spirit, who should abide with them for ever and lead them into all truth, and to be with them Himself even to the end of the world.

Because they were to teach His truth, and with His authority, men were to listen to them as to Him. "He that heareth you heareth Me," He said, "and he that despiseth you despiseth Me." By "you" our Lord must have meant, not the Apostles only but their successors. For these twelve men were to die, but their work was not to stop with their death. They were to pass it on to their successors, and with these as with the first Twelve Christ promised to remain till the end of time.

Those who heard the Apostles and believed what they taught were to form a society or Church whose members would be, some in Heaven, some in Purgatory and some on earth. Those who have reached Heaven