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Gospel Reading for July 10, 2024 – Matthew 10: 1-7
MULTIPLY
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.’”
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Before Jesus ascended to the Father, he told the apostles: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16: 15), then on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon them and they started their mission of spreading the Good News to all, including pagans.
In this reading, however, Jesus tells them not to go into pagan territory, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. While Jesus was on earth, his home was Israel. And, as is said, “Charity begins at home.” His mission of salvation had to start in Israel, but did not have to end there, because Jesus is Saviour of the whole world!
How very important it is for the children to hear the Good News from their own parents. This is the duty of every Christian parent. It is not enough to send them to Catholic/Christian schools and hear it from their teachers, where it will more or less, be taken by them as just another subject to learn. The most effective way to MULTIPLY bearers of good news is to bring up the children HEARING and SEEING the Good News from their very own parents!
Lord, we pray that more and more people realize that it is the mission of every Christian to be a bearer of the Good News!
