REFLECTIONS TODAY
The apostles should continue doing their mission, even if that entails sufferings and danger. They should not give up until the end of their lives. When they meet opposition and hostilities, they should not be surprised. When those days come, the Spirit of the Father will speak through them. The Father will provide the answers when they are investigated for their “questionable” activities. So, they should not be afraid to face the authorities. God will be with them.
If we, Christians of today, want to stay as Christ’s disciples, we must be willing to do our mission up to the end. We must persevere in doing what God expects of us to. We cannot avoid conflicts with the worldly kingdom because it has a different value system. The kingdom which we proclaim, accompanied with healings, exorcisms, and miracles, is submission to the will of God. God is the boss, not humans. That is our strong message. In acknowledging our enduring commitment to him, God will give us the crown of salvation.
Gospel • Matthew 10:16-23
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of people, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2022,” St. Pauls, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.