Wednesday of the
Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 385
Lectionary: 385
When hunger came to be felt throughout the land of Egypt
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.
The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.
It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph’s brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.
With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.”
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
“Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us.”
Reuben broke in,
“Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.
and the people cried to Pharaoh for bread,
Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph
and do whatever he told them.
When the famine had spread throughout the land,
Joseph opened all the cities that had grain
and rationed it to the Egyptians,
since the famine had gripped the land of Egypt.
In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain,
for famine had gripped the whole world.
The sons of Israel were among those
who came to procure rations.
It was Joseph, as governor of the country,
who dispensed the rations to all the people.
When Joseph’s brothers came and knelt down before him
with their faces to the ground,
he recognized them as soon as he saw them.
But Joseph concealed his own identity from them
and spoke sternly to them.
With that, he locked them up in the guardhouse for three days.
On the third day Joseph said to his brothers:
“Do this, and you shall live; for I am a God-fearing man.
If you have been honest,
only one of your brothers need be confined in this prison,
while the rest of you may go
and take home provisions for your starving families.
But you must come back to me with your youngest brother.
Your words will thus be verified, and you will not die.”
To this they agreed.
To one another, however, they said:
“Alas, we are being punished because of our brother.
We saw the anguish of his heart when he pleaded with us,
yet we paid no heed;
that is why this anguish has now come upon us.”
Reuben broke in,
“Did I not tell you not to do wrong to the boy?
But you would not listen!
Now comes the reckoning for his blood.”
The brothers did not know, of course,
that Joseph understood what they said,
since he spoke with them through an interpreter.
But turning away from them, he wept.
Responsorial PsalmPS 33:2-3, 10-11, 18-19
R. (22) Lord,
let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
The LORD brings to nought the plans of nations;
he foils the designs of peoples.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
But see, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
GospelMT 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.’”
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.’”
Meditation:
"Jesus gave them authority over unclean spirits"
Do you
believe in the the life-changing power of the gospel and experience its
transforming effect in your life? The core of the gospel message is quite
simple: the kingdom (or reign)
of God is very near!What is the kingdom of God? It is that society of men
and women who know God's love and mercy, and who willingly obey and honor God
as their Lord and King. In the prayer which Jesus gave to his disciples (theLord's
Prayer or Our Father), he taught them to
pray for God to reign in their daily lives and in the world around them: May your kingdom come and your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven.When Jesus proclaimed the good news of God's kingdom he also demonstrated the power of the gospel with supernatural signs and wonders. Jesus healed people who suffered physical, emotional, and mental illnesses. He freed people from spiritual bondage to sin and demonic powers. Jesus gave his disciples the same authority he had to heal and set people free from spiritual bondage. The gospel (which literally means "good news") which Jesus proclaimed is just as relevant today, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. If we believe in Jesus and in the power of the gospel, we will experience freedom, joy, and power to live as his disciples. No one can buy heaven; but if we know the love and mercy of Jesus, then we already possess heaven in our hearts! Do you believe that Jesus can change your life and show you the power of God's kingdom?
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. In the choice of the twelve apostles we see a characteristic feature of God's work: Jesus chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these men, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power. When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think we have nothing or very little to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe that God wants to work in and through you for his glory?
"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."
www.dailyscripture.net
 Choosing an Apostle |
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Wednesday of the
Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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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 him. 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.’”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I bring myself into your presence knowing the zeal of
your heart for souls. The glory of your heavenly Father can shape my own
heart. I am confident that, just as the Twelve lit the flame of their love
for their mission from the furnace of your divine love, I can ignite all that
is lukewarm and tepid in my own soul today. I desire to fulfill more
perfectly the mission you have given me.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to be generous and
trustful concerning your plan for me.
1. Jesus Needs
Apostles: A condition for the
Kingdom to grow is that it have protagonists. Christ refuses to be a one-man
show. We honor and bow before the divine choice expressed in Christ’s desire
to let his victory be realized through others, beginning with the Twelve. In
the Twelve we find the model of every call of Christ to build his Kingdom, to
spread the faith by word and deed. If there is no response to his call, there
is no Kingdom. Have I meditated on my call often? Do I see it linked to my
family and to my workplace? Have I responded to it?
2. The
Calling: Many were on the
mountain that day. Many were drawn to him and longed to be close to him, but
only 12 received the explicit call to be Apostles. The sense of predilection
is in every vocation and every mission from God. What we are chosen for in
life, no one else can fulfill it. We are called by name, meaning that Christ
knows us well when he calls, including all our defects and weaknesses. He did
not ask the Twelve for their preferences, look at their SAT scores, or
scrutinize their résumés. The choice of God, revealed in prayer, is sovereign
and omnipotent in action. The Twelve cannot think there has been some mistake
or some miscalculation. The voice of God, who neither deceives nor can be
deceived, is speaking.
3. A Free
Response: Christ called
freely, and in freedom the Twelve responded. He did not bring down angels
from heaven to overwhelm them to cooperate, he merely prayed to the Father.
As Lord of the harvest, he has called each one of us. Our vocation as an
apostle, is not a question of our wanting to be one. It is not a question of
our talents or compelling feelings for this or that, but of our faith-driven
awareness of God asking and our responding. Why are we where we are now in
our vocation in life? In our particular marriage? In a particular lay
movement? We can never know fully, for only God knows the depths of his own
wisdom. This is the first mystery of the Kingdom that touches each one of us
personally: God called, he willed it, and we said “yes.” This is the only
answer an apostle must seek. Anything else slows down the mission and
interrupts the dialogue of love and service to the mission.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I want to
affirm that all my work today is going to be my response to your call to be
your disciple and a light to others in this world. I resolve never to doubt
the special and perfect nature of your plan for me. May my heart always be
confident and generous in responding to your voice.
Resolution: I will take the hardest part of my day and
embrace it with greater joy out of love for the one who has called me.
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 10
MATTHEW 10:1-7
(Genesis 41:55-57, 42:5-7a, 17-24a; Psalm 105)
KEY VERSE: "As you go, make this proclamation: `The kingdom of God is at hand'" (v 7).
READING: By his words and deeds, Jesus demonstrated that God's reign had arrived. Jesus did not choose to bring about the kingdom on his own. It would take the co-operation of his followers to bring it to completion. Jesus chose twelve men to share his ministry and mission. The number twelve recalled the twelve founding tribes of Israel. These tribes had been scattered and dispersed all over the world. At the time of Jesus, only the tribe of Judah remained intact (Jesus was a descendant of Judah's tribe). Jesus' understanding of his mission was to draw the chosen people of Israel together again. But his ministry did not stop there. When Jesus wasraised from the dead, he gave his followers the knowledge of the love of God, and then told them to go and proclaim the good news to all peoples (Mt 28:19). These twelve disciples are mirrors of ourselves, flawed but graced human beings.
REFLECTING: In what ways have I announced the gospel today?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to share the good news of your reign to all I meet.
www.daily-word-of-life.com
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you
'He begged our mercy and no one listened to him.'
Today we recall a marvel beyond imagining - the power of God to bring good out of evil. Through his emotionally charged forgiving love, Joseph was empowered to turn his brothers' crime against him towards their salvation. Yet that is a mere shadow of Jesus’ own forgiving, who pardoned the enemies who subjected him to suffering and death.
In this way, Jesus revealed his Father's unconditionally forgiving love. At times, Lord, I find it so hard to imitate your compassion. Like Peter, I want to set limits to my forgiveness. Lord, teach me to love as you loved, to forgive as you forgave - unconditionally.
www.churchresources,info
July 10
St. Veronica Giuliani
(1660-1727)
Veronica’s desire to be like Christ crucified was answered with
the stigmata.
Veronica was born in Mercatelli, Italy. It is said that when her
mother Benedetta was dying she called her five daughters to her bedside and
entrusted each of them to one of the five wounds of Jesus. Veronica was
entrusted to the wound below Christ’s heart.
At the age of 17, Veronica joined the Poor Clares directed by the
Capuchins. Her father had wanted her to marry, but she convinced him to allow
her to become a nun. In her first years in the monastery, she worked in the
kitchen, infirmary and sacristy and also served as portress. At the age of 34,
she was made novice mistress, a position she held for 22 years. When she was
37, Veronica received the stigmata. Life was not the same after that.
Church authorities in Rome wanted to test Veronica’s authenticity and
so conducted an investigation. She lost the office of novice mistress
temporarily and was not allowed to attend Mass except on Sundays or holy days.
Through all of this Veronica did not become bitter, and the investigation
eventually restored her as novice mistress.
Though she protested against it, at the age of 56 she was elected
abbess, an office she held for 11 years until her death. Veronica was very
devoted to the Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart. She offered her sufferings
for the missions. Veronica was canonized in 1839.
Comment:
Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis of Assisi and to Veronica? God alone knows the deepest reasons, but as Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of these saints’ commitment to the cross in their lives. The stigmata that appeared in Veronica’s flesh had taken root in her heart many years before. It was a fitting conclusion for her love of God and her charity toward her sisters.
Why did God grant the stigmata to Francis of Assisi and to Veronica? God alone knows the deepest reasons, but as Celano points out, the external sign of the cross is a confirmation of these saints’ commitment to the cross in their lives. The stigmata that appeared in Veronica’s flesh had taken root in her heart many years before. It was a fitting conclusion for her love of God and her charity toward her sisters.
Quote:
Thomas of Celano says of Francis: "All the pleasures of the world were a cross to him, because he carried the cross of Christ rooted in his heart. And therefore the stigmata shone forth exteriorly in his flesh, because interiorly that deeply set root was sprouting forth from his mind" (2 Celano, #211).
www.americancatholic.orgThomas of Celano says of Francis: "All the pleasures of the world were a cross to him, because he carried the cross of Christ rooted in his heart. And therefore the stigmata shone forth exteriorly in his flesh, because interiorly that deeply set root was sprouting forth from his mind" (2 Celano, #211).
LECTIO: MATTHEW 10,1-7
Lectio:
Wednesday, July
10, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
through the obedience of Jesus,
your servant and your Son,
you raised a fallen world.
Free us from sin
and bring us the joy that lasts for ever.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
through the obedience of Jesus,
your servant and your Son,
you raised a fallen world.
Free us from sin
and bring us the joy that lasts for ever.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading -
Matthew 10,1-7
Jesus 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 are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is known as 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 Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who was also his betrayer.
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.
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is known as 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 Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who was also his betrayer.
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.
3) Reflection
• The second great
Discourse: The Discourse of the Mission begins in charter 10 of the Gospel of
Matthew. Matthew organizes his Gospel as a new edition of the Law of God
or like a new “Pentateuch” with its five books. For this reason his
Gospel presents five great discourses or teachings of Jesus followed by a
narrative part, in which he describes the way in which Jesus puts into practice
what he had taught in the discourses. The following is the outline:
Introduction: the birth and preparation of the Messiah (Mt 1 to 4)
a) Sermon on the Mountain: the entrance door into the Kingdom (Mt 5 to 7)
Narrative Mt 8 and 9
b) Discourse of the Mission: how to announce and diffuse the Kingdom (Mt 10)
Narrative Mt 11 and 12
c) Discourse of the Parables: The mystery of the Kingdom present in life (Mt 13)
Narrative Mt 14 to 17
d) Discourse of the Community: the new way of living together in the Kingdom (Mt 18)
Narrative 19 to 23
e) Discourse of the future coming of the Kingdom: the utopia which sustains hope (Mt 24 and 25)
Conclusion: Passion, death and Resurrection (Mt 26 to 28)
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the beginning of the Discourse of the Mission, in which the accent is placed on three aspects: (a) the call of the disciples (Mt 10, 1); (b) the list of the names of the twelve Apostles who will be the recipients of the Discourse on the Mission (Mt 10, 2-4); (c) the sending out of the twelve (Mt 10, 5-7).
• Matthew 10, 1: The call of the twelve disciples. Matthew had already spoken about the call of the disciples (Mt 4, 18-22; 9, 9). Here, at the beginning of the Discourse of the Mission, he presents a summary: “He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and all kinds of illness”. The task or the mission of the disciple is to follow Jesus, the Master, forming community with him and carrying out the same mission of Jesus: to drive out the unclean spirits, to cure all sorts of diseases and all orts of illness. In Mark’s Gospel they receive the same two-fold mission, formulated with other words: Jesus constituted the group of Twelve, to remain with him and to send them out to preach and cast out devils” (Mc 3, 14-15). 1) To be with him, that is to form a community, in which Jesus is the center. 2)To preach and to be able to cast out the devils, that is, to announce the Good News and to conquer the force of evil which destroys the life of the people and alienates persons. Luke says that Jesus prayed the whole night, and the following day he called the disciples. He prayed to God so as to know whom to choose (Lk 6, 12-13).
• Matthew 10, 2-4: The list of the names of the Twelve Apostles. A good number of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simon is the name of one of the sons of the Patriarch Jacob (Gn 29, 33). James is the same as Giacomo (Gn 25, 26). Judas is the name of the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23). Matthew also had the name of Levi (Mk 2, 14), who was the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23). Of the Twelve Apostles seven have a name which comes from the time of the Patriarchs. Two are called Simon; two are called James; two are called Judas, one Levi! Only one has a Greek name: Philip. This reveals the desire of people to start again the history from the beginning! Perhaps it is good to think in the names which are given today to the children when they are born. Because each one of us is called by God by his/her name.
• Matthew 10, 5-7: The sending out or the mission of the twelve apostles toward the lost sheep of Israel. After having given the list of the names of the twelve, Jesus sends them out with the following recommendation: “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”. In this one phrase there is a three-fold insistence in showing that the preference of the mission is for the House of Israel: (1) Do not go among the gentiles, (2) do not enter into the towns of the Samaritans, (3) rather go to the lost sheep of Israel. Here appears a response to the doubt of the first Christians concerning opening up to pagans. Paul, who strongly affirmed the openness to the gentiles, agrees in saying that the Good News of Jesus should first be announced to the Jews and, then to the gentiles (Rm 9, 1 a 11, 36; cf. At 1, 8; 11, 3; 13, 46; 15,1. 5.23-29). But then, in the same Gospel of Matthew, in the conversation of Jesus with the Canaanite woman, the openness to the gentiles will take place (Mt 15, 21-29).
• The sending out of the Apostles toward all peoples. After the Resurrection of Jesus, there are several episodes on the sending out of the Apostles not only toward the Jews, but toward all peoples. In Matthew: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe everything which I have commanded. And I will be with you until the end of time” (Mt 28, 19-20). In Mark: “Go to the entire world, proclaim the Good News to all creatures. Those who will believe and will be baptized will be saved; those who will not believe will be condemned” (Mk 15-16). In Luke: "So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this (Lk 24, 46-48; Ac 1, 8) John summarizes all in one phrase: “As the Father has sent me, so I also send you!” (Jn 20, 21).
Introduction: the birth and preparation of the Messiah (Mt 1 to 4)
a) Sermon on the Mountain: the entrance door into the Kingdom (Mt 5 to 7)
Narrative Mt 8 and 9
b) Discourse of the Mission: how to announce and diffuse the Kingdom (Mt 10)
Narrative Mt 11 and 12
c) Discourse of the Parables: The mystery of the Kingdom present in life (Mt 13)
Narrative Mt 14 to 17
d) Discourse of the Community: the new way of living together in the Kingdom (Mt 18)
Narrative 19 to 23
e) Discourse of the future coming of the Kingdom: the utopia which sustains hope (Mt 24 and 25)
Conclusion: Passion, death and Resurrection (Mt 26 to 28)
• Today’s Gospel presents to us the beginning of the Discourse of the Mission, in which the accent is placed on three aspects: (a) the call of the disciples (Mt 10, 1); (b) the list of the names of the twelve Apostles who will be the recipients of the Discourse on the Mission (Mt 10, 2-4); (c) the sending out of the twelve (Mt 10, 5-7).
• Matthew 10, 1: The call of the twelve disciples. Matthew had already spoken about the call of the disciples (Mt 4, 18-22; 9, 9). Here, at the beginning of the Discourse of the Mission, he presents a summary: “He summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and all kinds of illness”. The task or the mission of the disciple is to follow Jesus, the Master, forming community with him and carrying out the same mission of Jesus: to drive out the unclean spirits, to cure all sorts of diseases and all orts of illness. In Mark’s Gospel they receive the same two-fold mission, formulated with other words: Jesus constituted the group of Twelve, to remain with him and to send them out to preach and cast out devils” (Mc 3, 14-15). 1) To be with him, that is to form a community, in which Jesus is the center. 2)To preach and to be able to cast out the devils, that is, to announce the Good News and to conquer the force of evil which destroys the life of the people and alienates persons. Luke says that Jesus prayed the whole night, and the following day he called the disciples. He prayed to God so as to know whom to choose (Lk 6, 12-13).
• Matthew 10, 2-4: The list of the names of the Twelve Apostles. A good number of these names come from the Old Testament. For example, Simon is the name of one of the sons of the Patriarch Jacob (Gn 29, 33). James is the same as Giacomo (Gn 25, 26). Judas is the name of the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23). Matthew also had the name of Levi (Mk 2, 14), who was the other son of Jacob (Gn 35, 23). Of the Twelve Apostles seven have a name which comes from the time of the Patriarchs. Two are called Simon; two are called James; two are called Judas, one Levi! Only one has a Greek name: Philip. This reveals the desire of people to start again the history from the beginning! Perhaps it is good to think in the names which are given today to the children when they are born. Because each one of us is called by God by his/her name.
• Matthew 10, 5-7: The sending out or the mission of the twelve apostles toward the lost sheep of Israel. After having given the list of the names of the twelve, Jesus sends them out with the following recommendation: “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”. In this one phrase there is a three-fold insistence in showing that the preference of the mission is for the House of Israel: (1) Do not go among the gentiles, (2) do not enter into the towns of the Samaritans, (3) rather go to the lost sheep of Israel. Here appears a response to the doubt of the first Christians concerning opening up to pagans. Paul, who strongly affirmed the openness to the gentiles, agrees in saying that the Good News of Jesus should first be announced to the Jews and, then to the gentiles (Rm 9, 1 a 11, 36; cf. At 1, 8; 11, 3; 13, 46; 15,1. 5.23-29). But then, in the same Gospel of Matthew, in the conversation of Jesus with the Canaanite woman, the openness to the gentiles will take place (Mt 15, 21-29).
• The sending out of the Apostles toward all peoples. After the Resurrection of Jesus, there are several episodes on the sending out of the Apostles not only toward the Jews, but toward all peoples. In Matthew: Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to observe everything which I have commanded. And I will be with you until the end of time” (Mt 28, 19-20). In Mark: “Go to the entire world, proclaim the Good News to all creatures. Those who will believe and will be baptized will be saved; those who will not believe will be condemned” (Mk 15-16). In Luke: "So it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this (Lk 24, 46-48; Ac 1, 8) John summarizes all in one phrase: “As the Father has sent me, so I also send you!” (Jn 20, 21).
4) Personal questions
• Have you ever
thought sometime about the meaning of your name? Have you asked your parents
why they gave you the name that you have? Do you like your name?
• Jesus calls the disciples. His call has a two-fold purpose: to form a community and to go on mission. How do I live in my life this two-fold purpose?
• Jesus calls the disciples. His call has a two-fold purpose: to form a community and to go on mission. How do I live in my life this two-fold purpose?
5) Concluding Prayer
Seek Yahweh and his
strength,
tirelessly seek his presence!
Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders,
the judgements he has spoken. (Ps 105,4-5)
www.ocarm.orgtirelessly seek his presence!
Remember the marvels he has done, his wonders,
the judgements he has spoken. (Ps 105,4-5)
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