TWELFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME Texts: Jer. 20:10-13 Rom. 5:12-15 Mt. 10:26-33 In the gospel, we heard about the exhortation of Jesus to the disciples to proclaim the good news with courage and without fear. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28). Jesus also reminded his disciples to trust in his providence and assistance as he said said, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven” (Mt. 10:32). Jesus admonished the apostles not to be afraid. Fear should bring them to a total confidence in the mercy and help of God rather than to shame and disgrace. The persecutions, the maltreatment, the shame of judgment, the pain in trials, the lack of food and shelter and so forth must trigger a deeper trust in God. These things must make them stronger, more fearless and determined in the work of evangelization. The bad things in life must not discourage them but rather must strengthen and challenge them to give witness to the coming of the kingdom of God in the world. Perseverance in bearing the good news will eventually give success and fulfillment in the lives of the missionaries. The disciples must continue to acknowledge Jesus as Lord before the world. They must persevere even if they will be put to death because Jesus has already assured his help. Death is not permanent because Jesus has already overcome death. Therefore, the missionaries must be willing to die in order to rise with Jesus. What is important on being a missionary is the prophetic witnessing that the believer is doing rather than the judgment to death. Our experience of God is God’s divine power in us. The grace of our experience must empower us to live as missionaries of the kingdom. To be a church of today is to be willing to face the reality of suffering and death. The church must be prophets for the kingdom. The deprivation of food, the lack of material things, the challenges to bear the sickness, pain, loneliness and rejection in the mission must make us more trustful in the loving providence of God. The God in Jesus has assured us of his unending support and abiding presence in our lives and in our missions. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, you are more than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:31). When I was sent for a mission in other country, it was really very inconvenient and painful for me to leave my comfort zones, my family, people who loved and supported me, and my works and my apostolate in the Philippines. I did not exactly understand why this was so, which in fact, I was doing well in my priestly ministries, was productive of my relationship with people and was devoted in implementing the vision and mission of the parish and the congregation. In the beginning, I was hesitant deep within me to go for a missionary works especially that my parents are already old and sickly. However, I consulted the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist about this. I was also confident that the God in Jesus has already established an intimate relationship with me, so I was always at home to come to him and to talk to him everything in life. It was during the moment when I entered into the process of a prayerful discernment and interior dialogue that I understood clearly the will of God and his plan for salvation for those that he would give me for care during my mission. I recognized the ardent love, the genuine relationship and the intimate friendship of God with me. I realized that what really matters in life are not so much the people or the place or my works and accomplishments in life but my life of intimacy with God in Jesus, and God has blessed me with this precious gift in me being a Christian or a religious or a priest. This overwhelming experience on the gratuitous love for me and for his people enabled me to embrace my mission not only to do the works of the kingdom but also an opportunity for me to share my own life of grace in God with the church. Jeremiah was able to endure his prophetic calling because of the life of God in him. St Paul inspired the believers to live in new life because they were already justified through faith in Christ. Jesus sent the disciples and assured them not to be afraid because God has provided things for them including their loved ones. For me, a life of discipleship is a life of on-going process of Christian formation in faith, in hope and in love. A life of intimacy with God is really a disposition and a commitment of being a disciple of Jesus and a missionary of the kingdom. The first reading is about the prophetic mission of Jeremiah. The second reading is about the justified life of the Christian community. The gospel is about the mission of the disciples and God’s assurance of his assistance. I am resolved to be possessed by the word of God and by the Eucharist so that I may be able to make my own life a proclamation of God’s kingdom today. The Eucharist is a wonderful proclamation of our call being a missionary church. Thus to celebrate the Eucharist is to manifest prophetically our call and identity as the chosen disciples of Jesus in the world today. To receive Jesus in the Eucharist is to live a new lifestyle for the mission. To eat the body of Christ is to become missionaries of God in the world. To drink the blood of Christ is to become the living witnesses of the divine providence and abiding presence of God for all people. Therefore in this Eucharist, we pray that the Father in heaven may empower us to live our prophetic calling so that we may be able to proclaim powerfully the message of salvation that God has offered freely for all people and nations. Let the grace of the Eucharist enable us to live our prophetically our Christian lives and missions in this world. Yes, we pray that our Eucharistic celebration may reveal our identity as prophets and missionaries of Christ today. God bless us. THIRTEENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
Posted on: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 04:18:32 +0000
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