THE WORD
Hos 11,1-4.8-9 / Mt 10,7-15
[Jesus said to the Twelve,] “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words – go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”
IN OTHER WORDS
The gospel account provides a blueprint of two dimensions of our life – personal and missionary. When we realize that we can’t bring to the grave any of our material possessions, we refer to the personal dimension, reminding us of the value of detachment in a smooth-sailing life journey.
The missionary dimension, on the other hand, proposes two dispositions that Jesus exhorted his disciples to exemplify. First, they must travel light – take only the essentials and leave behind any distraction from proclaiming the word of God. This mandate demanded total resignation and dependence on God that could free them from excessive self-preoccupation. It demanded detachment from unnecessary sources of strength and required, instead, total trust and con dence in the providence and plan of the Lord.
Second, he exhorted them to give freely what they had received. Their mission was not a privilege but a gift that came from the abundance of God’s love. Therefore, their sacrifices must not merit remuneration but must be seen as an expression of their gratitude to God. Jesus exhorted them to remember the marvels the Lord had done. He himself cured the sick, raised the dead and cleansed the lepers. They were asked to do the same.
Jesus’ calling to mission is demanding but in this Matthean account, he gives us hope and asks us to share the Good News too. He asks us to give without counting the cost but with trust and dependence on his providence. These dispositions can help us respond more fully to Pope Francis’ call for us to have the smell like that of the sheep - that is, to be one among the sick, the poor, and the needy to whom we are commissioned to go.
- Fr. Samuel Agcaracar, SVD | Rome, Italy
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.
