Author: admin

***

Gospel: Matthew 10: 7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Immediately after inviting the disciples to share in his mission, Jesus puts them to the test.

They’re commanded to journey through the rocky terrain of Palestine with neither sandals nor food, not even a walking stick! 

I find that to be the most frightening part – a walking stick was not only used for stability; it was also used for protection against wild animals and robbers. 

Why does Jesus strip his disciples of such basic human necessities?

***

To teach them how to trust.

This is among the most difficult lessons in the spiritual life, learning how to trust in God, which will prove to be a daily test for the disciples. 

When their stomachs grumble, they’ll have to trust that food will be provided. When they’re attacked, they’ll have to trust that they’ll have the strength to defend themselves. When their bodies are tired and achy, they’ll have to trust that strangers will open their homes to them.

***

Perhaps you and I are not tested as severely as the disciples were, but we’re all challenged to trust that God will provide for our every need.

Maybe we need a door opened; a prayer answered; our mental or physical health restored. 

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him,” Jesus says.

But sometimes we must be patient.

***

When was a time I needed to trust in the Lord? Am I being invited to trust in Him now?

***

May the Lord grant us the grace to believe, and to wait patiently for Him to act.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Ed Elliott, Medium (2) iStock, Barefoot (3) Personal Outreach Ministry

***

Gospel: Matthew 10: 1-4

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.

The Gospel of the Lord.

***

***

Much can be said about this Gospel passage.

It is immensely rich, offering details into the mind and power of Christ, who chooses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. 

This has never changed; the Church remains a community of ordinary believers who’ve done extraordinary things over the last two millennia, from constructing architectural masterpieces to rebuilding lives.

***

But allow me to hone in on a single point today: the vast difference, humanly speaking, between the disciples.

Consider Matthew, the tax-collector, and Simon the Zealot. Both were chosen by Christ, but without Him, they would’ve been bitter enemies.

Matthew and Simon were Jewish.

In their days, the Jews largely broke down into four major parties: the Scribes, the Pharisees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. 

The Zealots were precisely that – zealous, patriots par excellence for Israel, often willing to go to extreme measures to fight for the Jewish nation. 

Rome was their bitter enemy, an invading force that kept the Jews from living freely. Matthew, although Jewish, was a Roman tax-collector who would’ve been hated by the Zealots. In a sense, Matthew was sleeping with the enemy.

***

Jesus brings these two men together. He bridges the divide; heals the hatred; he unites these men under a single purpose – the salvation of souls.

That’s what God does; he unites. It’s what religion is meant to do. 

Yet how often is religion a source of division, even hatred? 

***

This is, perhaps, one of the best litmus tests for our faith: has it brought us closer to other people, even those whom we’d otherwise avoid? Does it inspire us to work for peace? Has it caused us to grow in love for our neighbor?

***

Just as Christ summoned his disciples and gave them authority on earth, so the invites us to bridge gaps in understanding, to cast out evil, and to create a world of peace.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Compelling Truth (2) Domenico Ghirlandaio, The Calling of the Apostles (3) National Catholic Reporter

***

Matthew 9: 32-38:

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,
and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke.
The crowds were amazed and said,
“Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
But the Pharisees said,
“He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them
because they were troubled and abandoned,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.”

***

***

“His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

***

Why does Jesus often refer to us as sheep?

Because sheep are defenseless.

They have no claws, no paws, no venom, and no fangs. When attacked, they have no way of defending themselves.

Their only strength lies in their closeness to the shepherd. He is their strength.

***

The same is true for us.

How many times have we felt, “troubled or abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd?” 

Maybe we’re going through a divorce; suffering from poor health; or feel worried about the future.

At times our mind can spin us into a hole so deep it feels like there’s no way out, like we’re “troubled and abandoned…sheep without a shepherd.”

***

The Gospel reminds us to turn to Christ; any time we say his name his heart is moved with compassion. 

May all who feel lost turn to the Good Shepherd who promises to defend them.

***

***

Image credits: (1) Sheep Without a Shepherd, Jim Buchan (2) For God’s Glory Alone Ministries (3) Why Was Jesus Called the Good Shepherd, Christianity