Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 180
Lectionary: 180
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.
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
PsalmPS 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.
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.
AlleluiaIS 33:22
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The LORD is our Judge, our Lawgiver, our King;
he it is who will save us.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 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."
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."
For the readings of the Memorial of Saint Ambrose, please go here.
Meditation: "The
kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Who
doesn't want a life of good health, peace, and well-being? Isaiah
foretold that God's kingdom would overcome sorrow and adversity and bring true
peace and prosperity to God's people. Jesus understood his mission to bring the
kingdom in all its fulness to us. The core of the Gospel message is quite
simple: the kingdom or reign of God is imminent!
The
kingdom of God is imminent
What is the kingdom of God? It's the power of God at work in that society of men and women who trust in God and who honor him as their King and Lord. In the Lord's prayer we dare to ask God to reign fully in our lives and in our world: "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 5:10 ). Jesus' preaching of God's kingdom was accompanied by signs and wonders. People were healed not only spiritually, but physically as well. Do you believe in the power of God's kingdom for your life? Let his word transform your mind and heart that he may reign supreme in every area of your life.
What is the kingdom of God? It's the power of God at work in that society of men and women who trust in God and who honor him as their King and Lord. In the Lord's prayer we dare to ask God to reign fully in our lives and in our world: "May your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 5:10 ). Jesus' preaching of God's kingdom was accompanied by signs and wonders. People were healed not only spiritually, but physically as well. Do you believe in the power of God's kingdom for your life? Let his word transform your mind and heart that he may reign supreme in every area of your life.
Jesus
commissioned his disciples to carry on the works which he did - to speak God's
word and to bring his healing power to the weary and oppressed. Jesus said to
his disciples: Freely you have received, freely give (Matthew
10:8). What they had received from Jesus (all free of charge) they
must now pass on to others without expecting any kind of payment or reward.
They must show by their attitude that their first interest is God, not material
gain.
The
kingdom of heaven comes to those who receive Christ with faith
Jesus' words are just as relevant today. The kingdom of heaven is available to those who are ready to receive it. We cannot buy heaven; but if we accept the love and mercy of Jesus we already possess heaven in our hearts! The Lord brings his kingdom or heavenly reign to those who receive him with faith and obedience. When the Lord returns in his glory he will fully restore his kingdom of everlasting peace and justice. Do you pray and watch with confident hope for God's kingdom to come in all its fullness?
Jesus' words are just as relevant today. The kingdom of heaven is available to those who are ready to receive it. We cannot buy heaven; but if we accept the love and mercy of Jesus we already possess heaven in our hearts! The Lord brings his kingdom or heavenly reign to those who receive him with faith and obedience. When the Lord returns in his glory he will fully restore his kingdom of everlasting peace and justice. Do you pray and watch with confident hope for God's kingdom to come in all its fullness?
"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
Quote from the early church fathers: In remembrance of heavenly life, by
Bede the Venerable, 672-735 A.D.
"Why
should the lunar reckoning be calculated from the noontide hours, seeing that
the moon had not yet been placed in the heavens or gone forth over the earth?
On the contrary, none of the feast days of the law began and ended at noon or
in the afternoon, but all did so in the evening. Or else perchance it is
because sinful Adam was reproached by the Lord 'in the cool of the afternoon'
(Genesis 3:8) and thrust out from the joys of Paradise. In remembrance of that
heavenly life which we changed for the tribulation of this world, the change of
the moon, which imitates our toil by its everlasting waxing and waning, ought
specifically to be observed at the hour in which we began our exile. In this
way every day we may be reminded by the hour of the moon's changing of that
verse, 'a fool changes as the moon' (Sirach 27:11) while the wise man 'shall
live as long as the sun' (Psalm 72:5), and that we may sigh more ardently for
that life, supremely blessed in eternal peace, when 'the light of the moon
shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days.' Indeed, because (as it is written) 'from the moon
is the sign of the feast day' (Sirach 43:7), and just as the first light of the
moon was shed upon the world at eventide, so in the law it is compulsory that
every feast day begin in the evening and end in the evening (see Exodus
12:18). (excerpt from THE RECKONING OF TIME 3.43)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, MATTHEW 9:35--10:1, 5a, 6-8
(Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; Psalm 147)
(Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; Psalm 147)
KEY VERSE: "As you go, make this proclamation: `The kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (10:7).
TO KNOW: Through Jesus’ teaching and healing, he proclaimed that the kingdom of God had arrived. Jesus was moved with compassion because the people were like "sheep without a shepherd" (Mt 9:36). He asked his disciples to pray that the "master of the harvest" (v. 38) would send out more laborers to care for God's people. The Divine Shepherd (Jesus) and the Harvest-master (God) needed human cooperation to achieve this purpose. Jesus chose twelve who would share his authority and mission and serve as apostles. The Greek word apostolos means "one sent forth with a message." Jesus sent his apostles forth to announce his gospel to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel" (10:6). The miracles that accompanied their proclamation were signs of God's reign. The gift that they received was not to be kept to themselves, but was to be freely shared with others.
TO LOVE: In what ways will I share the Lord's gospel with others this Advent?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I pray that I will be generous in answering your call.
Memorial of Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church
In the Fourth Century, the bishop of Milan died and a dispute over his replacement led to violence. Ambrose, Governor of Milan, intervened to calm both sides. He impressed everyone so much that, although still an unbaptized catechumen, he was chosen to fill the office of bishop. Ambrose resisted, claiming that he was not worthy, but to prevent further unrest, he assented. On 7 December 374 he was baptized, ordained a priest, and consecrated as bishop. As an example to his flock, he immediately gave away his wealth to the Church to help the poor. Ambrose was a preacher, teacher, renowned bible student, and writer of liturgical hymns. His preaching helped convert Saint Augustine of Hippo whom Ambrose baptized. Ambrose's preaching also convinced Emperor Theodosius to do public penance for his sins. Ambrose called and chaired several theological councils during his time as bishop, many devoted to fighting heresy. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Latin Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298. The title "Honey Tongued Doctor" was bestowed on him because of his speaking and preaching ability.
Saturday 7 December 2019
St Ambrose
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26. Psalm 146(147):1-6. Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5, 6-8.
Happy are all who long for the coming of the Lord – Psalm 146(147):1-6
‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.’
Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26. Psalm 146(147):1-6. Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5, 6-8.
Happy are all who long for the coming of the Lord – Psalm 146(147):1-6
‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few.’
This Gospel is often invoked as a call for an increase in
vocations, most often ordained priesthood; shepherds for the ‘lost sheep’. ‘The
harvest is abundant but the labourers are few; so ask the master of the harvest
to send out labourers for his harvest.’
St Ambrose (c340-397), whose feast is celebrated today, is one
of the original four doctors of the Church, with Saints Augustine, Gregory the
Great and Jerome. He became Bishop of Milan by popular acclamation in 374. He
resisted because he was neither baptised nor ordained, nor a theologian, but
the people of God insisted and he was duly baptised and ordained, and began
studying theology and scripture.
The Plenary Council asks, ‘What is God asking of us at this
time?’ Ambrose’s story reminds us that what is has not always been. Perhaps God
is asking us to look again at new – or old – ways for the harvest to be
gathered?
Saint Ambrose
Saint of the Day for December 7
(337 – April 4, 397)
 |
| Statue of Saint Ambrose | Luigi Scorzini | photo by G.dallorto |
Saint Ambrose’s Story
One of Ambrose’s biographers observed that at the Last Judgment,
people would still be divided between those who admired Ambrose and those who
heartily disliked him. He emerges as the man of action who cut a furrow through
the lives of his contemporaries. Even royal personages were numbered among
those who were to suffer crushing divine punishments for standing in Ambrose’s
way.
When the Empress Justina attempted to wrest two basilicas from
Ambrose’s Catholics and give them to the Arians, he dared the eunuchs of the
court to execute him. His own people rallied behind him in the face of imperial
troops. In the midst of riots, he both spurred and calmed his people with
bewitching new hymns set to exciting Eastern melodies.
In his disputes with the Emperor Auxentius, he coined the
principle: “The emperor is in the Church, not above the Church.” He publicly
admonished Emperor Theodosius for the massacre of 7,000 innocent people. The
emperor did public penance for his crime. This was Ambrose, the fighter sent to
Milan as Roman governor, and chosen while yet a catechumen to be the people’s
bishop.
There is yet another side of Ambrose—one which influenced
Augustine of Hippo, whom Ambrose converted. Ambrose was a passionate little man
with a high forehead, a long melancholy face, and great eyes. We can picture
him as a frail figure clasping the codex of sacred Scripture. This was the
Ambrose of aristocratic heritage and learning.
Augustine found the oratory of Ambrose less soothing and
entertaining but far more learned than that of other contemporaries. Ambrose’s
sermons were often modeled on Cicero, and his ideas betrayed the influence of
contemporary thinkers and philosophers. He had no scruples in borrowing at
length from pagan authors. He gloried in the pulpit in his ability to parade
his spoils—“gold of the Egyptians”—taken over from the pagan philosophers.
His sermons, his writings, and his personal life reveal him as
an otherworldly man involved in the great issues of his day. Humanity for
Ambrose was, above all, spirit. In order to think rightly of God and the human
soul, the closest thing to God, no material reality at all was to be dwelt
upon. He was an enthusiastic champion of consecrated virginity.
The influence of Ambrose on Augustine will always be open for
discussion. The Confessions reveal some manly, brusque
encounters between Ambrose and Augustine, but there can be no doubt of
Augustine’s profound esteem for the learned bishop.
Neither is there any doubt that Saint Monica loved Ambrose as an
angel of God who uprooted her son from his former ways and led him to his
convictions about Christ. It was Ambrose, after all, who placed his hands on
the shoulders of the naked Augustine as he descended into the baptismal
fountain to put on Christ.
Reflection
Ambrose exemplifies for us the truly catholic character of
Christianity. He is a man steeped in the learning, law, and culture of the
ancients and of his contemporaries. Yet, in the midst of active involvement in
this world, this thought runs through Ambrose’s life and preaching: The hidden
meaning of the Scriptures calls our spirit to rise to another world.
Saint Ambrose is the Patron Saint of:
Bee keepers
Beggars
Learning
Milan
Beggars
Learning
Milan
Lectio Divina: Matthew 9:35 - 10:1,5-8
Lectio Divina
Saturday, December 7, 2019
1st Week of Advent
1) Opening prayer
God of mercy and compassion,
in your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have revealed Yourself
as a God of people.
Turn our empty hearts to You,
give us eyes to see the depth of our poverty
and our inability to build a better world
with our own resources,
and then come and build it with us
through your Son and our Savior
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
in your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have revealed Yourself
as a God of people.
Turn our empty hearts to You,
give us eyes to see the depth of our poverty
and our inability to build a better world
with our own resources,
and then come and build it with us
through your Son and our Savior
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
2) Gospel reading - Matthew 9:35 - 10:1,5-8
Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching
in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all
kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. And when He saw the crowds He felt
sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a
shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is rich but the laborers
are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to His harvest.'
He summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: 'Do not make your way to Gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from diseases, drive out demons. You received without charge, give without charge.
He summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them as follows: 'Do not make your way to Gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town; go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from diseases, drive out demons. You received without charge, give without charge.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today has two parts: (a) A brief summary of the apostolic
activity of Jesus (Mt 9:35-38) and (b) The beginning of the “Sermon of the
Mission” (Mt 10:1,5-8). The Gospel of today’s Liturgy omits the names of the
Apostles which are found in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 10:2-4).
• Matthew 9:35: Summary of the apostolic activity of Jesus. “Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and all kinds of illness”. Matthew describes in a few words the central points of the missionary activity of Jesus: (a) to travel through all the towns and villages. Jesus does not wait for people to come to Him, but He goes out to look for the people, travelling Himself through the towns and villages. (b) To teach in the Synagogues, that is, in the communities. Jesus goes to the place where the people are gathered together around the faith in God. And it is there that He proclaims the Good News of the Kingdom, that is, the Good News of God. Jesus does not teach doctrine as if the Good News were a new catechism, but in everything He says and does there emerges something of the great Good News which dwells within Him, that is, God, the Kingdom of God. (c) He cures all kinds of diseases and illness. What poor people experienced most was illness, all kinds of diseases, and what distinguishes the activity of Jesus is the consolation given to the people, whom He relieves from their pain.
• Matthew 9:36: The compassion of Jesus before the situation of the people. “And when He saw the crowds He felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd”. Jesus accepts persons as they are before Him: sick, exhausted, tired. He behaves like the Servant of Isaiah, whose central message consists of “consoling the people” (cf. Is 40: 1). The attitude of Jesus toward the people was like the attitude of the Servant whose mission was very specific: “He does not cry out or raise his voice, his voice is not heard in the street; he does not break the crushed reed or snuff the smoldering wick”. (Is 42: 2-3). Like the Servant, Jesus feels sorry when He sees the situation of the people who were “tired, exhausted, and dejected like sheep without a shepherd”. He becomes their shepherd, identifying Himself with the servant who said: “...be my servant so as to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and so as to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have offered you as a light for the Gentiles, so that you may be my salvation, even to the furthest regions of the earth.” (Is 49:6). And from the contact with the Father, Jesus receives the consolation to communicate it to the poor.
• Matthew 9:37-38: Jesus involves the disciples in the mission. Because of the immensity of the missionary activity, the first thing that Jesus asks the disciples to do is to pray: “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few! So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest”. Prayer is the first form of commitment of the disciples for the mission. Because if one believes in the importance of the mission one has to carry out, everything possible is done so that it will not die with us, but rather that it will continue with others, through us and after us.
• Matthew 10:1: Jesus gave the disciples the power to cure and to cast out demons. “He summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness”. The second thing that Jesus asks the disciples is that they do not begin to teach doctrine and laws, but rather, to help the people who are overcome by unclean spirits and to help them in the struggle against illness. Today, what often frightens people are certain missionaries who threaten them with the punishment of God and with the danger of demons. Jesus does the contrary. “If it is through the finger of God that I drive demons out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unaware” (Lk 11: 20). It is unfortunate, but today there are some people who believe they need demons in order to make money by driving them out. It would be worthwhile for them to read what Jesus says against the Pharisees and the doctors of the Law (Mt 23).
• Matthew 10:5-6: Go first to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Jesus sends out the twelve with these recommendations: “Do not make your way to Gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. At the beginning, the mission of Jesus was directed to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. Who where these lost sheep of the House of Israel? Were they the persons who were excluded, for example, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the unclean who were considered lost and condemned by the religious authority of the time? Were they those of the directing class, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the elders and the priests who considered themselves the faithful people of Israel? Or were they the crowds, tired and exhausted, as sheep without a shepherd? Probably, here in the context of the Gospel of Matthew, it is these poor and abandoned people who are accepted by Jesus (Mt 9:36-37). Jesus wanted the disciples to participate with Him in this mission with these people. But the way in which He takes care of these people, Jesus himself extends the horizon. In the contact with the Canaanite woman, a lost sheep of another race and another religion who wishes to be heard, Jesus repeats to his disciples: “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 15:24). It is at the insistence of the mother who does not cease to intercede for her daughter that Jesus defends himself saying: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15:26). But the reaction of the mother changes the attitude of Jesus: “Ah, yes, Lord, but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters’ table” (Mt 15:27). The answer of the woman counters the argument of Jesus. He takes care of the woman. Jesus listens to the woman: “Woman, you have great faith: Let your desire be granted. And from that moment her daughter was well again” (Mt 15: 28). Through the attention given to the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus shows that throughout the whole world there are lost sheep who want to eat the scraps or crumbs.
• Matthew 10: 7-8: Summary of the activity of Jesus. “Go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from diseases, drive out demons. You received without charge, give without charge”. How can the closeness of the Kingdom be revealed? The response is simple and concrete: curing the sick, raising the dead, cleaning the lepers, driving out demons and serving gratuitously, without enriching oneself from the service given to the people. Where this takes place, the Kingdom is revealed.
• Matthew 9:35: Summary of the apostolic activity of Jesus. “Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and all kinds of illness”. Matthew describes in a few words the central points of the missionary activity of Jesus: (a) to travel through all the towns and villages. Jesus does not wait for people to come to Him, but He goes out to look for the people, travelling Himself through the towns and villages. (b) To teach in the Synagogues, that is, in the communities. Jesus goes to the place where the people are gathered together around the faith in God. And it is there that He proclaims the Good News of the Kingdom, that is, the Good News of God. Jesus does not teach doctrine as if the Good News were a new catechism, but in everything He says and does there emerges something of the great Good News which dwells within Him, that is, God, the Kingdom of God. (c) He cures all kinds of diseases and illness. What poor people experienced most was illness, all kinds of diseases, and what distinguishes the activity of Jesus is the consolation given to the people, whom He relieves from their pain.
• Matthew 9:36: The compassion of Jesus before the situation of the people. “And when He saw the crowds He felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd”. Jesus accepts persons as they are before Him: sick, exhausted, tired. He behaves like the Servant of Isaiah, whose central message consists of “consoling the people” (cf. Is 40: 1). The attitude of Jesus toward the people was like the attitude of the Servant whose mission was very specific: “He does not cry out or raise his voice, his voice is not heard in the street; he does not break the crushed reed or snuff the smoldering wick”. (Is 42: 2-3). Like the Servant, Jesus feels sorry when He sees the situation of the people who were “tired, exhausted, and dejected like sheep without a shepherd”. He becomes their shepherd, identifying Himself with the servant who said: “...be my servant so as to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and so as to convert the dregs of Israel. Behold, I have offered you as a light for the Gentiles, so that you may be my salvation, even to the furthest regions of the earth.” (Is 49:6). And from the contact with the Father, Jesus receives the consolation to communicate it to the poor.
• Matthew 9:37-38: Jesus involves the disciples in the mission. Because of the immensity of the missionary activity, the first thing that Jesus asks the disciples to do is to pray: “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few! So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest”. Prayer is the first form of commitment of the disciples for the mission. Because if one believes in the importance of the mission one has to carry out, everything possible is done so that it will not die with us, but rather that it will continue with others, through us and after us.
• Matthew 10:1: Jesus gave the disciples the power to cure and to cast out demons. “He summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness”. The second thing that Jesus asks the disciples is that they do not begin to teach doctrine and laws, but rather, to help the people who are overcome by unclean spirits and to help them in the struggle against illness. Today, what often frightens people are certain missionaries who threaten them with the punishment of God and with the danger of demons. Jesus does the contrary. “If it is through the finger of God that I drive demons out, then the Kingdom of God has indeed caught you unaware” (Lk 11: 20). It is unfortunate, but today there are some people who believe they need demons in order to make money by driving them out. It would be worthwhile for them to read what Jesus says against the Pharisees and the doctors of the Law (Mt 23).
• Matthew 10:5-6: Go first to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Jesus sends out the twelve with these recommendations: “Do not make your way to Gentile territory, and do not enter any Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. At the beginning, the mission of Jesus was directed to “the lost sheep of the House of Israel”. Who where these lost sheep of the House of Israel? Were they the persons who were excluded, for example, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the unclean who were considered lost and condemned by the religious authority of the time? Were they those of the directing class, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the elders and the priests who considered themselves the faithful people of Israel? Or were they the crowds, tired and exhausted, as sheep without a shepherd? Probably, here in the context of the Gospel of Matthew, it is these poor and abandoned people who are accepted by Jesus (Mt 9:36-37). Jesus wanted the disciples to participate with Him in this mission with these people. But the way in which He takes care of these people, Jesus himself extends the horizon. In the contact with the Canaanite woman, a lost sheep of another race and another religion who wishes to be heard, Jesus repeats to his disciples: “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Mt 15:24). It is at the insistence of the mother who does not cease to intercede for her daughter that Jesus defends himself saying: “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs” (Mt 15:26). But the reaction of the mother changes the attitude of Jesus: “Ah, yes, Lord, but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters’ table” (Mt 15:27). The answer of the woman counters the argument of Jesus. He takes care of the woman. Jesus listens to the woman: “Woman, you have great faith: Let your desire be granted. And from that moment her daughter was well again” (Mt 15: 28). Through the attention given to the lost sheep of Israel, Jesus shows that throughout the whole world there are lost sheep who want to eat the scraps or crumbs.
• Matthew 10: 7-8: Summary of the activity of Jesus. “Go instead to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. And as you go, proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from diseases, drive out demons. You received without charge, give without charge”. How can the closeness of the Kingdom be revealed? The response is simple and concrete: curing the sick, raising the dead, cleaning the lepers, driving out demons and serving gratuitously, without enriching oneself from the service given to the people. Where this takes place, the Kingdom is revealed.
4) Personal questions
• We all receive the same mission given by Jesus to the
disciples. Are you conscious and aware of this mission? How do you live your
mission?
• In your life, have you had any contact with the lost sheep, with people who are tired, exhausted and searching? What lesson did you draw out of this?
• In your life, have you had any contact with the lost sheep, with people who are tired, exhausted and searching? What lesson did you draw out of this?
5) Concluding prayer
The Lord heals the broken-hearted
and binds up their wounds;
He counts out the number of the stars,
and gives each one of them a name. (Ps 146:3-4)
and binds up their wounds;
He counts out the number of the stars,
and gives each one of them a name. (Ps 146:3-4)
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