St Barnabas, Apostle: Tuesday 11th June, 2024 June 11, 2024
Reflection on the WORD
Discipleship of Jesus – Faith: In today’s Gospel, Jesus empowers His apostles with the divine gift of curing the sick, raising the dead and driving out devils. He also told them to be totally detached from the “material comforts” of life. This is so that they can serve in “God’s mission” with greater credibility and commitment. Ponder on: Do we live such values as Christians?
Matthew 10:7-13
Jesus said to his apostles: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those suffering from virulent skin-diseases, drive out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the labourer deserves his keep.
‘Whatever town or village you go into, seek out someone worthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, may your peace come upon it; if it does not, may your peace come back to you.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- Jesus said to His disciples: You received without charge, give without charge. He expects them (and us) to serve others especially the poor and needy with love, humility, sincerity and simplicity.
- Jesus wants His disciples to give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom. Like them, our first love must be God, not material gains. Is your life God-centered or self-centered?
- “Poverty of spirit” is entrusting our lives totally to God and being freed from the greed of possessions. The Lord wants us to be dependent on Him and not on ourselves, others or the world.