“He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.”

The youth of our parish returned from a mission trip wearing T-shirts imprinted with the words “Acts 29". Of course, there is no 29th chapter in the Acts of the Apostles; so just below it they had added, "Where the Gospels end, we begin."

The fact is, we are all called to follow in the footsteps of the twelve apostles as they set out for the surrounding villages to preach the Good News and heal the sick. We are expected to act as they did.

At first glance, the apostles seem ill suited to the challenge they faced. They were not men of high station, wealth or influence. They were not eloquent Biblical scholars, scribes or Pharisees. They were ordinary working men, just like you and me, but nonetheless men of great faith.

They may have had some misgivings at first when Jesus told them to leave everything behind and go as humble mendicants. Without food, money or clothes, they would be wholly dependent on the kindness of strangers - - the very people they were supposed to help. But Jesus wanted them to exercise with humility the power He had just bestowed on them.

They may have felt a twinge of anxiety at the thought of what awaited them. What if they were rejected, mocked and scorned? What if they became tongue-tied? Yet they knew Jesus would be with them in spirit.

So, the apostles stepped out in faith, taking the one thing they would truly need: the power and authority of Jesus.

We can’t reflect on this passage, and the way in which the apostles answered Jesus’ call, without acknowledging the sacrifice these men made. Of the twelve, only John died a natural death. Historians believe the others became martyrs for the faith.

We may occasionally read about modern day martyrs dying for the faith in some far off land. But for most Christians the call to discipleship entails a different kind of sacrifice. It involves dying to self. It means living the Gospel message at home, in our neighborhoods and while at work in ways that involve some personal sacrifice.

We don't have to be great preachers or miracle workers. If actions speak louder than words, each time we act kindly toward someone else, we are giving eloquent testimony to the Gospel message. If one of the greatest ills of our time is the "loneliness" that Mother Teresa decried, each time we befriend a stranger or outcast, we are healing the sick. Each time we die to self we are writing another passage in “Acts 29.”