The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
[35] And Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease, and every infirmity.
[36] And seeing the multitudes, he had compassion on them: because they were distressed, and lying like sheep that have no shepherd. [37] Then he saith to his disciples, The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. [38] Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth labourers into his harvest. [1] And having called his twelve disciples together, he gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of diseases, and all manner of infirmities. [5] These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not. [6] But go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. [7] And going, preach, saying: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. [8] Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils
The Gospel of the LordPraise to you Lord Jesus Christ
MEDITATION: The Gospel for today shows us the Advent of God
to His Church Israel. The Eternal Word, the Bread of Life, and the Eternal
Living Water Jesus Christ went around to all places doing acts of compassion
and mercy to His people. But the Advent of God to them was not enough. Why I
say so? It is so because the people were many in number and they are troubled
and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd. God’s Advent to them is really a
consolation. But why is it that they are still troubled and abandoned? It is
because they were in hunger and thirst for the Eternal Word that is both the
Bread of Life and Living Water Himself. Aside from that, they lack of people
who will take care of them. There are people that must be there that will take
care of God’s sheep so this will not stray and fall into a pit. Out of Jesus
Christ mercy towards His people He told His disciples that the harvest is
abundant but the workers who will labor for these are few; so ask the master of
the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest. We can deduce here that harvesting
these abundant people is a laborious task to do. In our world today, the
laborers of the Lord in His kingdom are still few. Now, let’s ask ourselves.
What am I doing about this? For don’t tell me that these problems that Jesus
Christ said in His Gospel do no longer exist. We are still in lack of workers
who will labor laboriously and painfully in God’s Kingdom! That is why we must
pray to God that He sends more people that will work alone in His service and
in His kingdom. I think you can also deduce here that these laborers must
embrace a life of unmarried chastity. So let us pray and ask God to send more
religious or victors of God that will labor for His harvest. The naive question
we can dare to say is after all, it is God’s harvest. Why must we bother? It is
because His harvest includes us – His laborers. So, if you will not work for
God’s harvest, then don’t expect that God will include you to His harvest,
rather expect that He will belong you to the weeds for burning, where there
will be wailing and grinding of teeth – it’s hell.
Then Jesus Christ the Authority Himself gave His disciples
authority over unclean spirits or demons and to exorcise them out and to cure
every disease and every illness. We can deuce here that the mission of Jesus
Christ and the disciples is a ministry of exorcism, deliverance and liberation;
and ministry of healing where these both lies on the ministry of compassion,
mercy, and love. I remember what an exorcist said about exorcism which is a
very good meditation in increasing Jesus Christ in us and we must decrease in
ourselves. Fr. Michell Joe “Jojo” B. Zerrudo, an official exorcist of the
Catholic Church said in one of the documentaries about exorcism where he was
featured, “I think that is the essence of exorcism. That it is not an arrogant
display of Divine Power but is actually a display of Divine Love [towards the
person afflicted by the enemy.]” This applies to the power bestowed by both
Christ and the Church upon the disciples’ actions within the ministries of
compassion, mercy, and love.
Now, Jesus Christ sends the disciples on their mission,
giving them instruction that they must first minister on the people of the
Church especially the straying ones and so strengthening them first before
going to a gentile territory or a Samaritan town thus doing these in obedience
to the command of Christ “not to give what is holy to dogs or throw pearls
before swine for fear that these will be trampled underfoot and turn and tear them
to pieces. This command is also applicable to our fellow Christians who
hardened their hearts on listening and obeying the commands and demands of the
Gospel that was preached before them. We Christians must first strengthen each
and every one of us before entering a gentile territory or a Samaritan town. We
must be of one mind and of one heart in everything that we pray, believe, and
live. For if we are not yet strengthened as we must be because we are a Church
of the Lord, what can you expect from the gentiles?
As we preach the Gospel, the people must see and hear in us
that ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’. We individuals who comprises the
Church of the Lord must make our very best that everyone sees and hears us must
know that the kingdom of God is near for our mission as a Church is the Advent
of us to all peoples and giving them the foretaste of the kingdom of heaven,
doing this by curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, driving
out demons by the power of God.
Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi – The law of prayer is
the law of faith is the law of life.
“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee”
Go and set the world on fire!
Mary H. Distributist
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