Gospel

Matthew 11:25-27

At that time Jesus exclaimed:

"I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows the Son except the Father,

and no one knows the Father except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Reflection

This passage makes very clear one of the things that Jesus wanted more than anything else to do was to reveal to us the true nature of the father. And he makes clear that he is the only human being, the only one that walked this earth that had full, complete knowledge of who God the Father is. That was his authority.

That was his power. And as he reveals more and more of who the father was, it became clear that the world was not ready and continued to reject him, particularly rejecting the image of a father so loving, so kind, and so present.

Closing Prayer

Father, we have so many notions of who you are. And we always need to be called into a place of reflection and wonder and awe at who you have revealed yourself to be through Jesus. Bless us with openness. Let us let go of things in the past to keep us from the fullness of the love and the beauty of our father. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel 

Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns

where most of his mighty deeds had been done,

since they had not repented.

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst

had been done in Tyre and Sidon,

they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

But I tell you, it will be more tolerable

for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.

And as for you, Capernaum:

Will you be exalted to heaven?

You will go down to the netherworld.

For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Sodom,

it would have remained until this day.

But I tell you, it will be more tolerable

for the land of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

Reflection

What Jesus was doing when he was performing miracles was not just displaying some power that he had, but rather trying to reveal clearly the mercy, the love of the father. Jesus came into this world to reveal who the father is. And when you look at the mighty deeds that he did, the healings, the transformations, they were the essence of who God the Father truly is.

So what he longs for is for people to accept this new image. And yet so many refused. But he continued, always to long for them to change.

Closing Prayer

Father, you continue to awaken us to the beauty of who God the father truly is. Help us to believe in the miracles that you perform for us. Help us to be excited about the role that you continue to play in our lives, where you are the source of so many solutions that bring us peace. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 10:34—11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.

I have come to bring not peace but the sword.

For I have come to set

a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

and one's enemies will be those of his household.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

and whoever does not take up his cross

and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet's reward,

and whoever receives a righteous man

because he is righteous

will receive a righteous man's reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones to drink

because he is a disciple–

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,

he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Reflection

I'm intrigued by the last line of this passage that Jesus did two things. He taught and he preached. And what's the difference? Teaching is mostly attention to the mind. Something needs to be explained. Things will happen this way or that way. And I see in the first part of this passage Jesus saying to his disciples, in order to follow me, you're going to have to reject the temple,

and if you reject the temple, you'll have to reject your family. And if you put your family in front of me and before me, then you will not enter the kingdom of God. So it's very clear. And that's of teaching. But preaching is about transformation, about the mystical part of our religion. What I like about this is when he talks about those who are going to enter into the community of believers, are going to be in a family, an enormous family.

Of spirit and humans. God in us. God in one another. It's a very, very important distinction to make sure that we receive both messages. There is practical advice and there is the excitement of opening a whole new way of life.

Closing Prayer

Father, we are called to embrace both the difficulties and the joys of following you. Bless us with understanding how they are both integral parts of our work of becoming a new creation in you. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 10:24-33

Jesus said to his Apostles: 

“No disciple is above his teacher,

no slave above his master.

It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,

for the slave that he become like his master.

If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,

how much more those of his household!

“Therefore do not be afraid of them.

Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,

nor secret that will not be known.

What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;

what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;

rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy

both soul and body in Gehenna.

Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?

Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.

Even all the hairs of your head are counted.

So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Everyone who acknowledges me before others

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.

But whoever denies me before others,

I will deny before my heavenly Father.”

Reflection

Jesus is warning his apostles about the encounters they will have. And if there is a house that has been run by an evil master, the people in that place will be evil. But he reminds them, don't be afraid of evil, because it always breeds itself in the hidden part of a place in darkness. And so Jesus is reminding his disciples that he will always help them proclaim the truth, and that the disciples should not be afraid of those who can't kill the soul, even though they can kill the body.

And why would he give them that advice, unless you would also follow up with what he says? I am in love with you. You are valuable to me. Every hair on your head is counted. Don't be afraid. Just acknowledge me. Even though it is risky and it exposes evil.

Closing Prayer

There's always been evil in the world. And it's important not to be afraid of it. Because that gives it all the power it needs to rob us of the peace and the well being, that is a sign that we know we are loved and we are cared for. Convince us of this love of God for us, and never let us be afraid. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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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 men,

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.”

Reflection

The advice that Matthew has given to his disciples is wisdom. Knowing that they are going to go into situation after a situation where the conversion to the teaching of Jesus is going to divide people, and it will be a rip in the basic fabric of family and community. And he's just warning his disciple, be careful, because this is what normally will happen when you put something out there that's so new and so radical.

But he's saying the most important thing is don't lose hope. Don't lose faith in what you're saying or what you're teaching. And if the persecution gets really bad, then go to the next town. Just do both what I ask you to do, but don't let yourself be harmed.

Closing Prayer

When one brings the message of Christ to someone. We pray and hope that they will receive it with an open, generous heart. That they'll believe in the promises that God has made through Jesus to them about the kingdom coming. But he's also saying, recognize that people are going to hate you for this, and they're going to persecute you, and you'll endure everything because I'll be there with you to speak for you. And when it's too tight, too harsh, I will guide you to a place of safety. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 10:7-15

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"As you go, make this proclamation:

'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

Cure the sick, raise the dead,

cleanse the 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.”

Reflection

In this gospel we again see Saint Matthew describing the early church, his ministry. It is to be a gift that is given to those who will proclaim it to others, but in an interesting way, they are not to go out and convert pagans to the reality of who God really is but they were to go to the house of Israel. And what they were asked to do was to awaken them, to build on the goodness that is there, the grace, the peace that is in their homes.

It's fascinating to me that this was not about conversions, but about fulfillment. And it expresses once again the love that God the Father had and Jesus had for the Jewish people.

Closing Prayer

Father, there is something about you that is so consistent and so beautiful. You are a lover, and you never give up on those you love. You consistently work with them, help them to see things through experiences they've had. So bless us with an awareness of the confidence that gives us as we too participate in the coming of the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 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 names 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 Jesus.

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.’"

Reflection

The Old Testament, it’s a long story of God working with a group of people, the Jews. And wanted so much for them to understand the fullness of the kingdom of God that was to come through the work of Jesus. What we see in this passage is Jesus giving authority to his disciples to go and to preach and teach his message.

And it's fascinating, in Matthew's Gospel that he doesn't send his disciples to the Gentiles, but to the house of Israel. And he's hoping maybe in a last ditch effort, hoping that he can convert the Jews to understanding that Jesus is the fullness of God the Father.

Closing Prayer

Father, you have never truly left the Israelite people. You continue to long for them to understand fully who you are. And when you send your disciples first to them, we see clearly a sign in you that you long for things, even though it may take centuries for them to change. Ultimately, when the kingdom comes, they will change. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel 

Matthew 9:32-38

A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus,

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,

Reflection

There was a tradition in the time of Jesus that those who were evil were considered to have the power to do strange things to other people. And so it seems, the Pharisees were just claiming some kind of hope that some people might believe them when they said, Jesus is the demon. That's how he can handle demons. But it makes no sense to Jesus or to the others.

Why would the devil try to drive out the devil from another person? But what I love in this passage is the way in which the compassion of Jesus is so clear. Looking at his 

human beings, he sees them troubled, abandoned, without direction, and he calls for a prayer of all of us, that there will be people who will guide those who are longing for the kingdom.

We underestimate each of our ability to be an instrument of touching the troubled and abandoned soul, with love and with hope.

Closing Prayer

God, we don't always have the confidence that we should. That you can use us to give direction that you long for other people to have. You will use us, empower us, give us wisdom so that through us you will be able to touch those abandoned and those who are afraid. Bless us with this conviction. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Gospel

Matthew 9:18-26

While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward,

knelt down before him, and said,

""My daughter has just died.

But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.""

Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples.

A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him

and touched the tassel on his cloak.

She said to herself, ""If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.""

Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,

""Courage, daughter!  Your faith has saved you.""

And from that hour the woman was cured.

When Jesus arrived at the official's house

and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion,

he said, ""Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.""

And they ridiculed him.

When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand,

and the little girl arose.

And news of this spread throughout all that land.

Reflection

It's fascinating to me when you encounter someone and ask them if they believe in God. They often say yes, and you say, well, can he raise people from the dead? Can he heal diseases? And they kind of get confused and oh, not for me. But seriously, we don't understand what it means to believe in Jesus. It means we're actually establishing a new kingdom where there is less and less pain and suffering and disease and death until we reach the final goal.

The Kingdom of God is here. But the mysterious thing is, it's here now, we're experiencing it. But the key to experiencing anything that God can do for you is believing it can be done and will be done.

Closing Prayer

Father, the gift of Faith is more than something that we just work on ourselves. It's a gift that comes from your Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Give us the new eyes of faith. Help us to know how powerful God's healing power is in everything we're doing. Never let us lose hope. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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