My dear Parish members & friends in Jesus Christ,
In today’s gospel we hear that the twelve apostles received their mission from Jesus to go out and call people to repentance and to proclaim the good news of the coming reign of God. Jesus gave instructions, making it clear that they were to have no special privileges. They were to travel to villages with a minimum of personal belongings. They were to rely on the good will of the people and the providence of God for food and lodging. If rejected, they were to move on to other places. They do not have to worry about who they are or what they have to do. Jesus had chosen them and had given full authority to proclaim the message, to heal the sick and to drive out unclean spirits.
The second reading is one of the most beautiful prayers of Blessing, modeled on a Jewish prayer. The author of Ephesians, represent Christ as the summit of creation, pre-existent, equal to God, one with God and forever the means whereby, humankind has access to God. “We are chosen before the creation of the world: to be holy and blameless in the sight of God”
We are called today to spread the message of the gospel in our families, workplace and in our society-to be the new evangelizers in the world. The disciples were told to take with them only the message of the gospel. All their needs would be taken care of by others. There are some things-material possessions, security--which are endless sources of worry and anxiety. We become slaves to it and that prevents us from living a happy and enriching life. We are to rely on the power of God rather than our own resources. The disciples were sent out to continue the battle against evil in all its forms by performing the same works as Jesus- the works of exorcism, healing and the message of repentance. Even though they were imperfect servants, Jesus sent forth the twelve. In the same way, He sends each of us, confident that God’s grace will be sufficient for us.
Let us pray.
God, our Father,
your light of truth guides us
to the way of Christ.
May all who follow him
reject what is contrary to the Gospel.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
God, forever and ever.
– Amen.
May the good Lord help us all!
Father Valley