COLLECT: “O GOD, STRENGTH OF THOSE WHO HOPE IN YOU, GRACIOUSLY HEAR OUR PLEAS, AND, SINCE WITHOUT YOU, MORTAL FRAILTY CAN DO NOTHING, GRANT US ALWAYS THE HELP OF YOUR GRACE, THAT IN FOLLOWING YOUR COMMANDS WE MAY PLEASE YOU BY OUR RESOLVE AND OUR DEEDS. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100:1-2,3,5; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36-10:8
“LORD, HELP ME TO FREELY GIVE TO OTHERS YOUR LOVE AND COMPASSION I RECEIVED FROM YOU”.
Summarily, this Sunday’s first reading hints that, about three months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites came to Mount Sinai. There, God promised to make a formal covenant (agreement) with them. “Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation”.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, the portion we meditate on this Sunday, Paul tells us how we are justified (made right or reconciled) with God. We are justified or reconciled when Christ died on the Cross for us, godless sinners.
In today’s Gospel, we read about the important calling of the twelve apostles and their assignment or duties to announce the Kingdom of God to the world. Since then, people have recognised the need for the Gospel, and this need cannot be met without labourers or workers.
“When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them (He was deeply moved for them) because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36). Jesus, seeing the crowds was actually moved and had pity on them because their leaders, especially the religious leaders, instead of guiding and tending them, led them astray, behaving more like wolves than genuine shepherds of the flock. The true and good shepherd will take the flock away from them and appoint good leaders to lead them.
The Dagaaba have an adage that, “Bong kang zaa ba dogro o tosoba bie” (“No living thing/animal/offspring gives birth to a different animal/offspring’s baby or young one”. The Son of God, Jesus, whom the Compassionate and Merciful Father has begotten, is, Himself full of mercy and compassion. Out of compassion and mercy, God the Father, had to appoint Moses to liberate and deliver his people who were in bondage and slavery in Egypt (Cf. the Book of Exodus, part of which we are reflecting today).
Really, if we are genuine believers or followers of Jesus, and we are really “consistent with our faith, when we look around us and contemplate or reflect on the world and what goes on, we too cannot avoid feeling in our own hearts the same sentiments that filled the heart of our Lord". Reflecting on the spiritual needs of the world should lead us to be tirelessly apostolic like the twelve apostles Jesus sent out. Just like in farm work, the harvest is lost if the farmer does not harvest or reap at the right time, the Church (all the baptized) should be harvesting because there is a big harvest ready to be won, ready to receive God’s salvation which Jesus won for us on the Cross (Cf. Rom 5), otherwise, God’s ready harvest will be lost.
The apostolic work, which was formerly misconceived as a duty or responsibility for only the clergy and a few Religious, is no longer the case. It is the duty, work and responsibility for all the baptised. In fact, this apostolic work of bringing God’s salvation to the world should start from our homes/families – thus, from Christian parents to their children. This is very often neglected in our homes/families, which are our Church in miniature, and so to speak, basic units of the Church. Lots of Families do not even pray for labourers or workers and vocations in the Lord’s Vineyard, let alone evangelise their children.
In line with the above, Pope Paul VI had this to say as a reminder to all the baptised: “The responsibility for spreading the Gospel that saves belongs to everyone – to all those who have received it! The missionary duty concerns the whole body of the Church; in different ways and to different degrees, it is true, but we must all of us be united in carrying out this duty. Now let the conscience of every believer ask himself (herself): have I carried out my missionary duty? Prayer for the Missions is the first way of fulfilling this duty” (Cf. Angelus Address, 23 October, 1977, Also C/f Ad Gentes 35ff in Vat.II Documents}.
Once again, all the baptised are urged to get involved in apostolic work, the Mission of the Church, bringing salvation to the whole world. There are several ways we can all get involved in apostolic work.
1. Praying for vocations and Agents of apostolic work
2. Supporting vocations and Missionaries/the Laborers in God’s Vineyard, for instance, financial support, in-kind support, that is, material things, like transportation, a piece of land for mission work, shelter, food, etc.
3. Protecting people in Missions or in apostolic work, like defending them, especially in moments or times of persecution, insults, revilement, backbiting or back stabbing, etc.
4. Motivate and encourage people carrying out missionary activities. Do not discourage, demoralise, insult, persecute and condemn them*.
5. Acknowledge the important and yet indispensable roles or duties of the agents of evangelisation or missionaries.
We could go on and on but suffice it.
May the Lord help all of us to freely give our love and compassion to others in whatever area we can carry out the apostolic work of Jesus Christ in and outside the Church. Stay blessed and happy Sunday.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SUNDAY, ON THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES: ‘THE RESURRECTION, THE ASCENSION, THE DESCENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE ASSUMPTION, AND THE CORRONATION’. (WE PRAY FAITH, HOPE, LOVE OF GOD, GRACE OF A HAPPY DEATH AND TRUST IN MARY’S INTERCESSION) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “AS THIS RECEPTION OF YOUR HOLY COMMUNION, O LORD, FORESHADOWS THE UNION OF THE FAITHFUL IN YOU, SO MAY IT BRING ABOUT UNITY IN YOUR CHURCH. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN.”
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, Upper West Region, Ghana. (00233-0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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