7/12/2023 (Wednesday) Today’s gospel reading: Matthew 10:1-7
1 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
2 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;
3 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
4 Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
5 Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
6 Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
7/12/2023 (Wednesday) Today’s gospel reflection: Matthew 10:1-7
The gospel reading above mentions the initial sending of the twelve on a mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. This could be part of their training. Jesus is aware of their strengths and weaknesses. So He empowered them with “authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness”. He also provided them with a strategic plan. They must first focus their effort on familiar ground – their homeland and their people. The pagan territory is too dangerous for neophyte missionaries like them. Later, before His ascension, He would send them to all nations (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15).
There is a great leadership lesson here: Know your people, give them enough training, empower them with enough authority and provide a strategic plan that can be implemented on a staggered basis.
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In the beginning of the church, the apostles performed a lot of miracles of healing, exorcism, and even prison escape. Today, we observe less and less miracles that can be considered awesome by spectators. This is a good sign because it means the church is growing in faith. We don’t have to witness spectacular miracles to develop faith. In other words, our faith does not depend on miracles but on love and trust. We praise and glorify God not because we have received miraculous healings and other blessings but we know for a fact that God deserves it.
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