Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 180
Reading 1
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26
Thus says the Lord GOD,
the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem,
no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out,
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need
and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
"This is the way; walk in it,"
when you would turn to the right or to the left.
He will give rain for the seed
that you sow in the ground,
And the wheat that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your flock will be given pasture
and the lamb will graze in spacious meadows;
The oxen and the asses that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
The light of the moon will be like that of the sun
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater
like the light of seven days.
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people,
he will heal the bruises left by his blows.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (see Isaiah 30:18d) Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Praise the LORD, for he is good;
sing praise to our God, for he is gracious;
it is fitting to praise him.
The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars;
he calls each by name.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Great is our LORD and mighty in power:
to his wisdom there is no limit.
The LORD sustains the lowly;
the wicked he casts to the ground.
R. Blessed are all who wait for the Lord.
Alleluia
Isaiah 33:22
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5a, 6-8
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."
Then he summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
"Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
On Mission From Christ
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Matthew 9:37–38
What does God want of you? What is your mission? Some fervent Christians may dream of becoming a popular evangelist. Some may dream of doing heroic acts of charity that are praised by all. And others may wish to live a very quiet and hidden life of faith, close to family and friends. But what does God want of YOU?
In the passage above, Jesus exhorts His disciples to pray for “laborers for his harvest.” You can be certain that you are among the “laborers” of which our Lord speaks. It’s easy to think that this mission is for others, such as priests, religious and full-time lay evangelists. It’s easy for many to conclude that they do not have much to offer. But nothing could be further from the truth.
God wants to use you in exceptionally glorious ways. Yes, “exceptionally glorious!” Of course, that does not mean that you will be the next most popular YouTube evangelist or enter the spotlight like Saint Mother Teresa did. But the work God wants of you is just as real and just as important as any of the greatest saints of old or who are alive today.
Holiness of life is discovered in prayer but also in action. As you pray each and every day and grow closer to Christ, He will exhort you to “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons” (Matthew 10:8), as today’s Gospel goes on to state. But He will call you to do this in the unique way within your own vocation. Your daily duty is not to be ignored. So who in your daily encounters are those who are the sick, the dead, the lepers and the possessed? Most likely they are all around you, to one extent or another. Take, for example, those who are “lepers.” These are those who are the “rejects” of society. Our world can be harsh and cruel, and some may find themselves feeling lost and alone. Who do you know who may fall into this category? Who needs a bit of encouragement, understanding and compassion? God has given you a daily duty that He has not given to another, and, for that reason, there are some who need your love. Look for them, reach out to them, share Christ with them, be there for them.
Reflect, today, upon this exceptionally glorious calling you have been given to be Christ to another. Embrace this duty of love. See yourself as one called to be a laborer for Christ and commit yourself to the full and glorious fulfillment of this mission, no matter how it is to be lived out in your life.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
VOICE RECOGNITION
“From behind, a voice shall sound in your ears: ‘This is the way; walk in it.’ ” —Isaiah 30:21
The Lord Jesus says that an abundance of people will ultimately respond to the Gospel message, but laborers are needed to spread it (Mt 9:37-38). Explaining the meaning of the Word of God is a much-needed ministry. In the book of Nehemiah, numerous Levites explained the meaning of God’s Word to the people (Neh 8:7ff). St. Ambrose, whose feast we celebrate today, did this for St. Augustine. This booklet, One Bread, One Body, aims to make the Word of God come alive for you. Undoubtedly the Lord is calling you to make His Word come alive for someone else.
Will you be a worker for the harvest? (Mt 9:37) To work for the Lord, you must hear and recognize His voice (Jn 10:4, 27). Many sheep are without a shepherd (Mt 9:36). The internet or social media are their shepherds, but those who create social media posts might well be pasturing themselves (see Ez 34:2ff), caring more about making money on “click bait” than about the welfare of those who do the clicking. How will these sheep learn to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd rather than the voices of those who pasture themselves?
Jesus says: “Do you love Me? Then feed My sheep” (see Jn 21:15-17). God speaks to you so you can speak His words to the sheep. Be still and know that He is God (see Ps 46:11). Hear His voice and speak His words to others. Teach others to recognize Jesus’ voice.
Prayer: Father, “here I am...send me!” (Is 6:8)
Promise: “He will give rain for the seed that you sow in the ground.” —Is 30:23
Praise: St. Ambrose, referring to Scripture, wrote: “He who is full, refreshes others.”
Reflection 3
Shared from Daily Liturgy
Jesus authorizes the twelve to carry out his mission of healing and expelling demons. He trains his disciples to continue his own work because he wants to spread the Kingdom of God to the ends of the Earth. As ambassadors, they carried the delegated authority in Jesus’ name. Jesus’ concern for the lost sheep of Israel echoes his complaint that his people were helpless like sheep without a shepherd. The Biblical prophets complained that the irresponsibility of Israel’s shepherds allowed the sheep to go astray (Jer 50:6; Ezek 34:5). Jesus may also have recalled the price God would pay through him to restore the lost sheep. Through their ministries, God’s future Kingdom is proclaimed as already active in this age.
Prayers
My dear Lord, I commit myself to Your divine mission. I choose You and Your holy will for my life. Send me, dear Lord, to those who are most in need of your love and mercy. Help me to know how I can bring that love and mercy to those entrusted to me so that they will experience in their lives Your glorious and saving grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, rouse my spirit from complacency and stir my faith to see you act today. Give me boldness to live and proclaim the message of the kingdom of heaven and to be a prophetic sign of that kingdom to this generation.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 341: Adore the Lord My Soul
If you have ever been to a wonder of nature, the moment you behold it is an awe-inspiring moment. Looking at the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, or the Swiss Alps for the first time will take your breath away and leave you in a moment of adoration of God’s creation. But if the beauty of nature can evoke such a response, then the infinite beauty of God will leave you in awe for eternity. It will be a moment of such “Beholding” that every fiber of your being will be drawn to God the moment you are face-to-face. And that “moment” will become one eternal moment. That moment can begin now if you allow yourself to be drawn into the adoration of God (See Diary #1652).
Do you understand the idea of adoring God? There is only one way to understand and that’s to do it. For example, someone may tell you all about the Grand Canyon, and it may be interesting, but seeing it with your own eyes completely changes your understanding. Reflect today on whether or not you know what it means to adore God with your whole soul. If you do not, then seek out this supernatural marvel.
Oh Lord, I desire to adore You with all my being. I want to be mesmerized by Your beauty and glory. Draw me in, dear Lord, and allow me to have but a glimpse of the glory I am to behold for all eternity. Jesus, I trust in You.
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