Summoned! A subpoena summons us to court. A principal summons a student to the office. Parents summon a wayward child to a family conference. Summons such as these do not admit of being ignored, carry grave importance, and tend to put us on edge. Their urgency is already the message: something’s up. What was up when Jesus summoned the Twelve in this gospel passage? What was up was the salvation of the world. What was up was the call to repentance. What was up was the healing of humanity. Nothing—neither life necessities nor rejection—can keep us from faithfully hearing and responding to Jesus’ summons to preach repentance. The summons is urgent because the mission is urgent. This gospel poses two challenges for us: first, that we hear Jesus’ summons; second, that we grasp its urgency. We hear Jesus’ summons through his word in the gospels, the cry of those in need, the desire of those wishing to grow in their faith. We grasp the urgency of the summons when we respond without counting personal cost, actively seek ways to preach repentance, consistently shape our everyday living in accord with the demands of the Gospel. What is at stake is the salvation of the world. The summons is urgent because the mission is urgent.