Reflection for July 14 Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time: Matthew 10:34—11:1

Gospel: Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's enemies will be those of his household. 

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. "Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple–amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." 

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. 

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Reflection: 

There once lived a man of profound generosity, and many of his neighbors envied him. No matter how often he gave money and food to the poor around him, he never seemed to run out of resources. One day, a curious friend finally asked, “What is your secret? Why do you never seem to run out of money?” The generous man simply smiled and replied, “There is no secret at all. I give because it is in my heart to give.” 

Whatever we give with a sincere and generous heart will return to us a hundredfold in ways we may never expect. If we struggle to believe this, let us try to live generously for even a week and witness how God, in His faithfulness, pours blessings back into our lives. These blessings are not confined to financial gain alone; they come in the form of good health, peace of mind, restored relationships, and a sense of deep joy that the world cannot give. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that even the smallest act of kindness and generosity does not go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father. Why is this so? Because it is in giving that we truly receive, and the more we give from a place of love, the more we open our hearts to receive the grace and abundance God desires to bestow upon us. 

May we learn to give without counting the cost, to love without expecting anything in return, and to trust that our Father in Heaven sees every act of generosity, no matter how small. For in His perfect timing, He will return it to us in ways that will draw us closer to His heart. — Marino J. Dasmarinas