DAILY GRACE
July 8, 2020, Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Scripture: Matthew 10:1-7
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Meditation
“These twelve Jesus sent out. . . .”
They are twelve — the group of disciples Jesus is about to send out to proclaim the dawn of the kingdom. As a good teacher, the Divine Master has first shown them how to preach, heal, and expel unclean spirits (see Mt. 9:35). Now he is sending them out on their own to do the same. Their hands-on experience of going out to the people — preaching, healing, and expelling all in proclamation of the good news, that “the kingdom of heaven has come near” —-will prepare them for their future mission.
When the Twelve begin preaching after Pentecost, how different their focus will be! During Jesus’ earthly lifetime they preached the nearness of the kingdom “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” After Pentecost they will preach the death and resurrection of Jesus to Israel first, and later to everyone. The message is to be carried to the ends of the earth.
We Presbyterians believe in the universality or catholicity of the Church. All people are invited to belong to the Church. As the apostles went out to bring that invitation to everyone they met, we too can do the same. We can bring it in our own way to the people in our personal world who have fallen away or are searching for God. Our method probably won’t involve preaching or teaching but rather witnessing. People in our times are more influenced by witnesses than by preachers and teachers, and if they do pay attention to preachers and teachers, it’s because they’re witnesses. If we sincerely live our faith, others will be drawn to the Church in God’s good time. Jesus relies on our cooperation as he relied on the apostles.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, as you have guided Jesus’ disciples down through the ages, please guide me. I want to live up to the graces of Baptism and Confirmation and live a Christian witness among my friends, relatives, coworkers, and acquaintances. Please help me to know at the right moment what to do and what to say. Jesus taught that the Church is called to be a leaven in society. I want to be an active part of that leaven. I trust you to help me. Amen.
Contemplation
Lord, make me an apostle!