A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 10:7-15
(Glory to you O Lord!)
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 (Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!).
Reflection: Begin with the end in mind
Brothers and sisters! The Gospel reading for today reminds us that we are just sojourners in this life. We are just passing through, as the apostles were first “sent out” by our Lord Jesus to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and to perform miracles in His name. We may ask: What does this mean? Why were the apostles sent? Why do they say that the kingdom of Heaven is at hand?
This means that the kingdom of God is present not just in Heaven, but also here on earth and with all creation, as our Lord Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit continues to journey with all humankind, and the Holy Trinity resides within the hearts of all the faithful, as the good news was first proclaimed by the apostles to the people of Israel, and then eventually to the Gentiles as the disciples were sent to all the peoples of the world.
As a Benedictine monk once shared, “We begin each day with the end in mind …, We are all going to die”. We are just passing through this life. Our lives on earth are temporary. We will all eventually pass away, and there is so much more beauty and holiness, joy, and peace, something so indescribably beautiful that await us.… beyond what we currently can perceive and see … that awaits all the faithful, … when we are all one day called by our Lord Jesus to himself … to be reunited forever with our loved ones who have gone before us, with all the Angels and Saints in Heaven!
Brothers and Sister! The kingdom of Heaven is at hand! The beauty of Paradise that God had planned from the very beginning will one day come to fruition, and will be restored by our Lord Jesus! He is our Divine Creator, our loving Priest, Prophet, and King! He is the King of kings! Lord of Lords! Our mighty God! Knowing this important fact, begin each day by asking God the question, “Lord, how can I serve you today?”
Action for the Day:
In silent prayer, reflect upon the words of scripture from today’s gospel reading, as well as the task that was given to the apostles as “we” are all “sent” to share the good news. Lift up our concerns and petitions to our Lord Jesus and ask the question: Lord what do you want me to do? How can I share the message of your love, of the beauty of your Kingdom, of the peace and salvation through faith in You to everyone? Lord Jesus, how can I serve you today? Please also continue praying for the strength and healing of Deacon Ray Emnace and all on our prayer lists.
DEACON5 website link: https://deacon5.com/
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