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A Reading from the Holy Gospel, according to Luke (9:1-6)
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.
REFLECTION: The call to evangelize is one that has existed since Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
We are in times when evangelizing is difficult in our hostile culture. We fear being mocked. Or maybe we think it’s ineffective. Or maybe some people may even think that they feel it’s someone else’s responsibility. All these arguments are not new and were even applied to Jesus’s Twelve apostles to a much greater degree.
The results will harden and soften hearts. Some will welcome us and others will reject us. The gospel has always produced those results. However, we are not sent out alone, or in twos. No! The one who sends us goes with us and ensures the effectiveness of our message.
Today’s Gospel passage is relevant to teachers and preachers in every age that try to impact others with Jesus’s ministry.
In the Cursillo movement, which requires living a 3-day retreat, it depends on one’s apostolic action. Candidates are given the call, “Christ is counting on you”, and their response is, “I am counting on Christ.” As believers, we know that His Holy Spirit goes with us, to guide our work. We can count on Christ. The bigger question is, can Christ really count on us?
Just like the disciples were required back in Jesus’ time to show their faith, so are we today. If we are to evangelize, it requires engaging people, serving, and preaching to them. We must teach. We must invite. We must share the Good News of the kingdom of God.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Ask God, to give you the spirit of faith that allows one to search God’s will to carry out His saving plan, helping and serving God’s people, through the spirit of faith which was embodied by the Twelve apostles. Ask God to also help you to live up the essence of mercy and compassion towards other people and adhere to what Mother Theresa said, “It is not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”
AUDIO REFLECTION:
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