July 06, 2016 Wednesday, 14th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Hos 10: 1-3. 7-8. 12 Gospel: Mt 10:1–7 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.These are the names of the twelve apostles: 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 Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. “Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience
Jesus gave the Apostles special authority to drive out demons and heal diseases when he commissioned them. The Evangelists Matthew, Mark and Luke provide details of this commissioning. Matthew specifies that the number of followers commissioned were twelve (Matt. 10:1), reminiscent of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In specifying the number, Matthew emphasized Jesus’ authority to call the Twelve Tribes to the kingdom of God.
Matthew makes no mention about Jesus’ instruction to convert people. In Matthew’s version Jesus only made the explicit instruction to heal, to drive away evil spirits, and announce that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. In Matthew’s account the empowerment of his disciples to convert others came later after the resurrection when he said, “Go and make disciples of all nations…”
We are similarly commissioned by virtue of our baptism. Matthew’s version is instructive about how we can carry out this mission. Before attempting to convert others, it is best to start as healers and busters of evil. We may not have the gift of healing as the Twelve Apostles enjoyed. But there are many wounded people we can heal by our forgiving embrace. We may not be formidable busters of evil as the Apostles were but we can diminish the human resources of evil by falling out from the ranks of Satan’s minions. Converting ourselves means one devil less in society.
This is the most efficient way to start the wheels of evangelization rolling. Conversion of others will follow as a matter of course because actions still speak louder than words. This way, even without the extraordinary powers enjoyed by the Apostles we still become Jesus’ effective partners in his work of evangelization. -(Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM., MAPM., MMExM., REB., Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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