July 12, 2017 Wednesday
14th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading: Genesis 41:55-57
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)
While resting, five government workers notice a beautiful lady walking on a cemented pavement that’s still wet. They give her the “witwiww”. Thinking that the gentlemen are enamored at her, she pretends not to hear and continues to walk along the pavement with more grace. Finally they shout: “Keep off the pavement, the cement is still wet and you are destroying our work!
This anecdote takes us deeper into the message of Today’s Gospel reading. Without relationship with God, a person may hear God calling but he misinterprets the call. There is no resonance in values and no synchrony of wills. The ears hear God’s call but the mind interprets the call with a worldly paradigm. The Apostles were responsive to Jesus’ voice calling them to the mission. It was kind of scary because Jesus did not allow them to bring necessary provisions for their survival. Yet in faith they responded. That was because of that pre-existing disciple-Master relationship. Judas betrayed Jesus precisely because he was a thief and his relationship with Jesus was skin-deep.
Jesus too is calling us by name – the name carved on the palm of his hands (Isaiah 49) with the nails of crucifixion. God calls us for so many reasons: to tell us how much he loves us, to give meaning to our sufferings, to share with us bountiful blessings, and to invite us to become blessings to others. The first is about election (he calls us to love us), the second vision (he calls us to give meaning to our sufferings), the third adoption (he calls us to impart bountiful blessings upon us), and the last is mission (he calls us to become blessings to others).
Whether the call is in view of such election, vision, adoption or mission, we must strive to cultivate deep relationship with Him in order to respond appropriately to his call. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.
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