Today's Gospel in Art - Jesus appointed the Twelve Apostles

Statues of the Twelve Apostles on facade of St Peter's Basilica by Carlo Maderno 1612-1613 © Christian Art Today

Gospel of 24th Jan 2020 - Mark 3:13-19

Jesus went up into the hills and summoned those he wanted. So they came to him and he appointed twelve; they were to be his companions and to be sent out to preach, with power to cast out devils. And so he appointed the Twelve: Simon to whom he gave the name Peter, James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or 'Sons of Thunder'; then Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, the man who was to betray him.

Reflection on the Twelve Apostles on the facade of St Peter's Basilica

We may think that we have chosen Jesus, but in fact He chose us first! Just like with the twelve apostles. He chose them, as per today's reading… For today's art illustration, there was no need for me to look much further than the facade of St Peter's Basilica, Rome. The statues, all sculpted in 1612-1613, show Jesus with the Twelve Apostles, or to be precise eleven apostles and St John the Baptist. The missing apostle is St Peter, because he was given (together with St. Paul) a separate statue in St Peter's square in front of this very facade......

To read on see: https://christianart.today/reading.php?id=306