Doing Our Mission With Trust in God's Providence

Sunday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

July 11, 2021

Readings for the Day

Reading I: Am 7:12-15
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14
Reading II: Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10
Gospel: Mk 6:7-13

Word Count: 413

Reading Speed

    Slow (100 wpm): 4.1 minutes
    Average (130 wpm): 3.2 minjutes
    Fast (160 wpm): 2.6 minutes

In Mark 3:13-19, Jesus called His twelve from among His many followers to journey with him more closely to form and train them for The mission: "to preach and to have authority to drive out demons." To fulfill this, He bestowed upon them a portion of His power.

In our Gospel today, Mark 6:7-13, Jesus having prepared them enough, sent them forth in twos. Since this was their first time being sent, He gave them specific instructions.  He understood that His disciples needed some provisions like clothes, food and money, yet He required that they free themselves from worrying about these things in order to effectively preach the Gospel.  He instructed them to trust in God’s providence for He provides everything they need that they may focus all their energies on the mission. They only need to rely on God's resources rather than human resources.  

St Augustine, in "De Consensu Evangelistarum", II, 30, said "By these instructions the Lord did not mean that the evangelists should not seek to live in any other way than by depending on what was offered to them by those to whom they preached the Gospel; otherwise this very Apostle (St Paul) would have acted contrary to this precept when he earned his living by the labors of his own hands."

St. Paul (1 Cor. 4:12) toiled and worked with his own hands. He earned a living as a tent maker (Acts 18: 3) while at the same time remaining zealous and faithful to his mission. Of course, Paul did not show his distrust in God’s providence by working for a living, but expressed his reliance on God who bestowed upon him everything necessary for the mission, including his skills in making tents.

Experiences of many ministers, clergy and lay alike, show that God truly provides for those who are faithfully doing their mission. Nonetheless, we also see some clergy who are earning their keep. Others are even doing more ministries to earn more stipends, more income. Yet, can we say that they do not have trust in God’s providence?  Of course, we can not. It is between them and God. 

To sum up, our Gospel reminds all of us, the clergy and all Christians, that we do not do our mission to earn for oneself but we do it to earn repentant sinners for God. The more we faithfully do our mission, the more we experience and receive His abundant blessings. We only have to trust God.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

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Locked in God's Love

July 10, Saturday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinatry Time

Readings for the Day:
    First Reading: Gn 49:29-32; 50:15-26a

    Responsorial Psalm: 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7

    Gospel: Mt 10:24-33

Reading Speed

    Slow (100 wpm): 3 minutes

    Average (130 wpm): 2.3 minutes

    Fast (160 wpm): 1.9 minutes

A disciple’s vocation is to share the same destiny and undergo the same ill treatment as his master. Just as Jesus carried the cross, so also a  disciple must embrace and carry his cross. No pupil is greater than his teacher. A disciple’s vocation is not only to share the glory but also the  suffering and agony of Jesus. To have to sacrifice for the faith is to share the sacrifice of Jesus.

Disciples is not for the weak and the afraid. It is for the daring and the brave. SO DO NOT BE AFRAID. Why? Even when there is persecution, suffering, serious personal problem, severe pain, rejection or frustration. God is still with us and in control of our life and our future. God knows our pain and will comfort us. God sees our sufferings and will console us. God hears our cry and will attend to our supplication. God knows what we lack and will supply our need. Trust in God’s providence, which is evident in God’s care even for the smallest. No one drifts away from the love and care of God. At all times we are all in God’s hands. We are forever surrounded by God’s care. We are very important to God. Of all God’s creatures, we are the most special. God will do everything for our salvation, for our safety in life. God is most concerned with our well-being; God’s only desire is our entry to heaven, to be in God’s kingdom. God makes everything possible so that we can find God, return to and be with God. But we have to do something. 

Let us bring everything to Jesus, in the Eucharist we celebrate. And as Jesus assures us, “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” Amen.

Rev. Joseph Casiao, SSS

Image Credit: Pixabay.com

Endure all Sufferings with Jesus

Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

July 9, 2021

Readings for the Day 

    First Reading: Gn 46:1-7, 28-30
    Responsorial Psalm:  Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40
    Gospel: Mt 10:16-23

Word Count: 314

Reading Speed:
    Slow (100 wpm):  3.1 minutes
    Average (130) wpm): 2.4 minutes
    Fast (160 wpm): 2 minutes

When Jesus summons, He empowers. Our Gospel reading today is a continuation of Chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel which started with Jesus summoning his twelve disciples, last Wednesday, then yesterday, the commissioning of the twelve where Jesus empowered them to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven with accompanying wonders like curing the sick and driving out demons.  This empowerment does not only involve power and authority but also courage and endurance.

The disciples needed this kind of empowerment as Jesus warned them of the coming persecutions by governors and kings, by pagans and even by their own families.  He assured them of the assistance of the Spirit of the Father so that they would stand tall and not fall in the face of their persecutors.  They only had to endure all these and not let persecutions and sufferings stop them from continuing their mission.  He told them “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.”

As it happened to the apostles and to many Christians throughout the ages, persecutions are still happening these days to some of our brothers and sisters who are made to suffer because of their faith in God. But to most of us, this may take the form of trials and difficulties, pain and suffering which have always been and will always be a part of life, an integral part of Christian life. And like the persecuted apostles and many Christians, we too can suffer for and with Jesus in our daily hardships,  we too are empowered with courage and endurance, with graces and blessings, enabling us to continue our mission until He comes again.  Whoever endures to the end will be saved.  When Jesus summons, He empowers.

Fr. Joel R. Lasutaz, SSS

Image Credit: pixabay.com