READINGS AND REFLECTIONS :  THURSDAY 9 JULY 2020 

Hosea 11 : 1 – 9          Psalm 80 : 1 – 7          Matthew 10: 7 – 15

Collect : 

O God our Saviour

You reveal your salvation

through Jesus Christ –

our wisdom and strength:

teach us to shoulder our burdens

and give us the strength to carry

each other as you have carried us;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and

the Holy Spirit, one God now and

for ever.    Amen 

Jesus now instructs them, and us, on what we are to say and do. Proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. This is true because of the presence and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus is himself the very embodiment of the Kingdom, he is the ultimate Kingdom person. The kingship of God is fully present in him. But it will also be present in the Twelve who will do the same things that Jesus is doing: curing the sick, raising the dead, healing lepers, liberating people from evil spirits. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that the Church continues to do these things.

Today, all of us are called to proclaim the kingship of God by our words, actions and lifestyle. The Church is still called to bring healing into people’s lives. We may not raise people literally from the dead; but there many who are virtually dead –  though physically alive, and who need to be brought back to a fully human life.

 Most of our societies today do not have lepers yet we have, people who are marginalised and pushed out to the fringes, kept at arms length and side lined.  We need ensure that society is integrated and reintegrated.

There may be people in some places who are genuinely possessed by evil spirits but there are far more who are in the grip of modern day demons, such as, alcohol and drugs, who are caught up in materialism, consumerism and self-indulgence. They too need to be liberated.

Jesus also tells his disciples to travel light. They are not to charge for their service. They are not to find their security in the possession of material things. To increase their freedom, they should go around with the absolute minimum. In our lives, possessions and our concern about them can be very inhibiting. They weigh us down and hold us back, they keep us from sharing and experiencing the true freedom that God offers us.

Mother Teresa once said: “I do own things but they do not own me.”

There are a few things for us to reflect on today:

Where is my security? Am I burdened down by the things I own? Am I owned by them?

What kind of hospitality do we give to those – whoever they are – who are generously doing the Lord’s work?

Jesus sends his apostles to preach the Good News.

Has my reaction to the pandemic been that of a bearer of good news? 

We Pray: 

Lord, please grant me the grace

to be a better apostle today,

 than I was yesterday.

Amen