THE WORD
Hos 10,1-3.7-8.12 / Mt 10,1-7
Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The name 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 him. 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.’”
IN OTHER WORDS IN OTHER WORDS
Boss, talking to the yaya of all her children: “But Maria, why are you asking for a salary raise? I treated you all your life like one of my children.” “But, Mom,” replied Maria, “How come they are all professionals now? Me, I’m still a yaya.”
At times we are happy with the way we deal with people around us, not knowing that we unwittingly treat some, especially the poorer ones, unfairly. Company owners hire workers under contract of less than six months, insisting that they have to give job opportunities to others. Of course the companies get the bene ts that are due to terminated workers. Grandparents treat their grandchildren as if they were the parents, showing their lack of trust in their own children.
This is not the way Jesus related to those he called. When he picked his followers, he gave them his full trust, even the person who betrayed him. Jesus shared to his apostles the “authority” to do what he did. His followers would be the visible sign of his presence. If Jesus was the physical presence of his Father, his disciples would be the incarnated sign of him continually working in the world. Following his disciples, therefore, is following Jesus. Would that priests live up to their calling as representatives of Jesus who called them and be the re ection of his deeds at the same time!
- Fr. Atilano Corocuera, SVD | DWST, Tagaytay City
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
