Gospel: Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5A, 6-8Jesus 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.”
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Reflection:
Have you done something to bring others to
the Lord? For example, you asked a friend to go with you to the church to
attend Holy Mass. Or you counseled a friend to read the Bible so that he/she
could know Jesus deeply.
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers
are few (Matthew 9:37).” These words of Jesus rings loudly to our ears today
than ever before. Indeed this is very true and very relevant for our times. We
just need to look around our environment and we would see the sad reality that
there’s are many more who don’t know Jesus.
Our labor for God must not be limited to
our vocation in the church as Preist, Extra-Ordinary Ministers of the Holy
Communion, as Catechist, as Lectors/commentators and as members of other church
ministries. We must put more flesh in our involvement in our church by going
out to those who are hungry, who are physically/emotionally sick. We need to
bring Jesus out to the poor of our society for they too need Jesus and surely
they need Jesus to guide them.
Even if we are ordinary parishioners by
virtue of our baptism we too are called to share Jesus. A faith that grows is a
faith that is shared. Beginning this Advent season and onwards let us allow
Jesus to use us as His instrument of healing by helping the poor and the
deprived.
But there are those who follow Jesus based
on their own terms and standards. They impose their own rule and not the rule
of Jesus they follow Christ based on their own self-rule. Thus, instead
of embracing humility they choose to embrace arrogance. Instead of winning
converts and followers they become the main reason why others walk away from
the faith.
A good follower has rock solid faith, is
neither self seeking nor arrogant. Always humble and content to silently do his
mission for the greater glory of God. Are you this kind of follower? – Marino J.
Dasmarinas
