This Sunday we continue our journey through Mark’s gospel. We have seen how the people continue to flock to Jesus for healing, though the opposition to Jesus is rising as the Pharisees challenge this seemingly blasphemous teaching. In our passage today, Jesus has headed back up a mountain and appoints the twelve apostles. They are a rather random bunch but, as we will see, in spending time with Jesus, they will be trained and equipped before being sent out.

As, today, we remember the lives of those from our Parishes and wider afield who died in service to pursue peace and freedom, what can we learn from Jesus’ actions and those of these first apostles? How can we stand today as the body of Christ in bringing peace to our broken world?