Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 385
Reading 1
Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12
Israel is a luxuriant vine
whose fruit matches its growth.
The more abundant his fruit,
the more altars he built;
The more productive his land,
the more sacred pillars he set up.
Their heart is false,
now they pay for their guilt;
God shall break down their altars
and destroy their sacred pillars.
If they would say,
“We have no king”—
Since they do not fear the LORD,
what can the king do for them?
The king of Samaria shall disappear,
like foam upon the waters.
The high places of Aven shall be destroyed,
the sin of Israel;
thorns and thistles shall overgrow their altars.
Then they shall cry out to the mountains, “Cover us!”
and to the hills, “Fall upon us!”
“Sow for yourselves justice,
reap the fruit of piety;
break up for yourselves a new field,
for it is time to seek the LORD,
till he come and rain down justice upon you.”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (4b) Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. Seek always the face of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia
Mark 1:15
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand:
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 10:1-7
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.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Proclaiming the Kingdom
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Matthew 10:5–7
The very last words of Jesus, just prior to His Ascension into Heaven, expands the mandate we read above that Jesus gave to His Apostles. He later says, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19). Eventually, Jesus sends the Twelve and all of His disciples to the ends of the earth to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. But here, prior to the coming of the Holy Spirit, and prior to the completion of Jesus’ earthly mission, He instructs the Twelve to go only “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Thus, Jesus gives a sort of priority to the preaching of the Gospel to those who have already been entrusted with the revelations of the Old Testament—that is, the teachings of the Law of Moses and the prophets.
Though, today, we must all hear the call from our Lord to “make disciples of all nations,” we must also hear this unique commission to first preach to those who are already members of the family of God. And though, today, the Holy Spirit has already come and the Gospel has already gone forth far and wide, there is still an important spiritual lesson to be learned by Jesus’ progressive commission from those of the family of God to those who do not yet know the Gospel.
Start with yourself. By hearing Jesus give special emphasis to His Twelve to go first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, you should hear our Lord speaking especially about you. You, who were baptized, have been confirmed and have received Holy Communion, now have a special obligation to listen to and respond to the Gospel of Christ. From there, God entrusts you with the sharing of the Gospel in a special way to those who also share your faith. For that reason, parents are uniquely obliged to share the Gospel with their children. Friends within the same faith community are uniquely obliged to reach out to others who share their faith. And pastors of the Church must do the same. The Gospel is now universal and must be proclaimed to all people, but this passage appears to highlight the importance of sharing the Gospel with fellow disciples of Christ.
We know from our daily life that there are many who profess faith in Christ who still are not fully evangelized. There are many who have received the Sacraments but lack the deep faith to which they are called. It can appear that most fail to worship our Lord every day, and many fail in their prayerful worship each and every week. Therefore, it is useful to place yourself into this Gospel passage and to hear our Lord call you to especially devote yourself to the sharing of the Gospel with those who have already become members of His Church, even if it is only in name.
If we begin with ourselves, seeking to daily grow deeper in our life of faith, praying and seeking out the will of God, then God will more easily be able to use us as He wills to share the faith with those who belong to God’s family but whose faith may be weak. And for those who are “all in” and have truly given themselves over to Christ, God will certainly also use you for the proclamation of the Gospel to those who have not yet come to know Christ through the gift of faith.
Reflect, today, upon the invitation Jesus gives to you to be His evangelist. First, look at your own life and do all you can to allow the Gospel to transform you into a fervent follower of Christ. From there, be open to the many ways that God wants to use you every day to inspire others to become followers of our Lord. Start with your family. Pray for them. Be attentive to the promptings of grace God gives to reach out to them. Then turn your eyes, also, to the wider community. Allow the Lord to lead, follow His voice, and He will use you in many ways to help others come to know His burning love for them.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
“OTHER CHRISTS”
Jesus “summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority to expel unclean spirits and to cure sickness and disease of every kind.” —Matthew 10:1
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Jesus in every city, neighbourhood, and family? Jesus would walk among us, proclaim His kingdom of love, heal the sick, drive out demons, and give us salvation. The good news is that Jesus has provided for this very thing. Jesus is personally and powerfully present in millions of places throughout the world through His Body, the Church, in a special way as the Eucharist, and in each of His disciples.
Thus, Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). When we live as His disciples by imitating Him, we become “other Christs.” We fill the world with Jesus and thereby help the Church become “the fullness of Him Who fills the universe in all its parts” (Eph 1:23). St. Teresa of Avila taught that Jesus has no hands but ours, no feet but ours, no voices but ours, etc. How can Jesus and the Church be strongly present to people who don’t acknowledge Jesus’ presence, listen to Him, or go to Church? You as disciples of Christ are His “walking tabernacles.” You bring Jesus and His Body, the Church, to those “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).
Be other Christs. Bring hope and life to the lost, suffering, and enslaved. Be His disciples.
Prayer: Father, I offer my body and myself to You (Rm 12:1).
Promise: “It is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain down justice upon you.” —Hos 10:12
Praise: Sam was painfully shy and always sat in the back of the church at Mass. For several months, Jane and Veronica went out of their way to wish Sam peace and greet him at Mass. Now Sam is a leader in the church.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
Jesus sends out the twelve as shepherds to search and find the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Their selection was made from among the common people who did ordinary things, enjoying no special status in society. Jesus chose them knowing their limitations yet conscious of what they could become under his influence and power. When the Lord calls a person into his service, he does not look at human qualifications as, for God, nothing is impossible! He chose them to be with him and to send out on a mission. The success of the mission depends on the bond a disciple shares with Jesus. Except Judas, all of the disciples spent the rest of their lives proclaiming God's kingdom, even at the cost of their lives. God continues to call people to be shepherds to all those who are in darkness. Do you believe that despite your limitations, God can work through you for His glory?
Prayers
My universal King, You came to establish Your Kingdom in the lives of all people. You call all Your creatures to faith in You. Help me to be among the first who turn to You with my whole heart. Please also use me to become an instrument of Your saving grace to those whom You’ve put into my life. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you have chosen me to be your disciple. Take and use what I can offer, however meager it may seem, for the greater glory of your name.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 191: The Talkative Soul
A true danger to the interior life of communion with God is an excessive need to talk. No, talking is not a sin and many times is an act of Mercy toward another. But there are times when being too talkative is a hindrance to the Mercy of God. Talking, in and of itself, is neither good nor evil. The goal is to form our words in accord with the Mind and Will of God. That’s it. We must see the words we speak as a sacred tool to bring forth Truth and to manifest God’s love. Excessive words, or words that do not flow from our love of God or others, can do more damage than we may realize. Therefore, consecrate your speech to the Lord and seek to let Him speak through you as He will, when He will and to the extent He wills (See Diary #1008).
Do you talk a lot? Do you talk too little? It’s not about how many words we say, it’s about saying the right words at the right time in the right way. Our words can cause much hurt, but they can also bring the healing balm of God’s Mercy. Reflect upon the conversations you have had over this past week. Were they pleasing to God? Did they give God glory and edify yourself and others? Reflect, also, upon any ways that you neglected to say what the Lord wanted you to say. These omissions of silence can also be the cause of hurt and can be the reason for a loss of Mercy in our world. Give your speech to the Lord and let Him manifest Himself through you.
Lord, I love You and I offer You my love, this day, through a consecration of my words to You. You are the Eternal Word spoken from the Father. You are the Truth that sets all people free. Give me wisdom, temperance, and courage to speak only what You call me to speak and to listen only to that which You speak. May my tongue be a sword piercing through the darkness of this world and my ear be a sponge for Your Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.
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