Gospel: Matthew 10:1-7
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.’”
The story is told of an old man who
died. As he was about to enter the pearly gates, he found Jesus there instead
of St. Peter. Jesus asked him, “Have you done anything to propagate the faith?”
The old man was unable to answer because he had not done anything to evangelize
anyone.
Perhaps
when our own time comes to pass through those same pearly gates, we too may
hear our Lord ask us, “Have you done anything to spread the faith?” How
will we answer Him? Will we be able to tell Him that we faithfully shared the
Good News with others, or will we stand before Him with hearts filled with
regret over opportunities we let pass by?
When
Jesus called the Twelve Apostles, He did not immediately send them to distant
places. Instead, He instructed them to begin by evangelizing those within their
own sphere of influence. It is as if the Lord was reminding them, “Before you
go far away, make sure that those nearest to you have first heard the Good
News.”
That
same call echoes in our hearts today. Before we seek to evangelize people far
from us, we are first invited to share Christ with those closest to us—our
family, our relatives, and those with whom we live each day. Parents, in a
special way, have the beautiful mission of leading everyone in their household
to know, love, and follow Jesus. What a blessing it is when our homes become
places where faith is lived, nurtured, and joyfully passed on from one
generation to the next.
One
powerful witness is a family that faithfully attends Holy Mass together every
Sunday. Such a simple yet profound act proclaims to others that God truly comes
first in our lives. Without saying a word, our example can inspire other
families to draw closer to the Lord and worship Him together.
Yet
many of us are influenced by today's "selfie mindset," shaped by
social media and the culture of modern life. We can easily slip into thinking, "My
life, my worship, my faith." When our faith becomes centered
only on ourselves, it gradually weakens our concern for others and closes our
hearts to the mission Christ has entrusted to us.
As
disciples of Jesus, however, we are called to replace a selfie mindset with a Gospel mindset—one that lovingly reaches out,
encourages, and leads others to Christ. Let us begin where God has placed us:
within our own homes. Through our prayers, our loving example, our kind words,
and our daily acts of charity, we can become instruments through whom our
families encounter the living Lord. When Christ reigns in our homes, His light
naturally shines beyond them.
Today,
let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with renewed love for Christ and
with the courage to share that love with others. May we never take for granted
the people God has entrusted to us, for they are the first mission field He has
given us.
When we one day stand before Jesus, will we be able to joyfully
say that we began sharing our faith with those closest to us, or will someone
in our own family still be waiting to hear the Good News through our words, our
example, and our love? —Marino J. Dasmarinas
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