Reflection for July 14, Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 10:16-23

Gospel: Matthew 10:16-23

(Jesus said to the twelve Apostles) “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. 

You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”

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Reflection:

How far would we go for our love for Jesus? Would we be willing to give our life so that HIS teachings would continue to live and spread in the hearts of our fellowmen? 

Jesus needs us today more than any other time because today we see the world being slowly enveloped by the culture of secularization. What are we going to do about this tilting shift toward secularization? Are we just going to stand idly, do nothing and be indifferent to the mission of Jesus? 

If we do nothing because we are afraid to embrace sacrifice and persecution, what will happen to this world? This world will eventually be ruled and populated by people who are not anymore worshippers of God. 

Just look and observe, abortion is prevalent even legal in many countries same as with divorce. Why are these incidents happening now? Because many are afraid to give their life in the service of Jesus many of us now have the mindset of apathy (I am only concerned with my family and my own welfare). 

Our indifference towards the mission of Jesus contributes to the degeneration of the value formation of the people of this world. We therefore must wake up and do our part (No matter how small) to continue to spread the values and teachings of Jesus in this world. We do this not for our own sake anymore we do this for the sake of the future generation which now belongs to our children. 

Just imagine children growing up with a scant idea of who Jesus is? What would happen to them when they grow up and have their own family? – Marino J. Dasmarinas