July 7, 2022 – Matthew 10:7-15

In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ discourse continues as he instructs his disciples on what they should say and do, especially they should proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. This, of course, is true of the presence and work of Jesus who is the very embodiment of the Kingdom.
God’s kingship is fully present in Him, but it will also be present in the Twelve who will do the same things that Jesus does: heal the sick, raise the dead, heal lepers, deliver people from evil spirits. We will see all these things in the Acts of the Apostles and also in the Church that continues to do them today.
Indeed, the Church is called to bring healing and, if it cannot literally raise people from the dead, it can bring spiritually dead people back to true life. Today, all of us are also called to proclaim kingship, the lordship of God by our words, actions and lifestyle.
Jesus’ instructions and travel advice:
In his instructions Jesus clearly tells his disciples not to take provisions along the way. They should simply trust that God, the Provider, opens the hearts of believers to take care of their needs. Jesus’ instructions also suggest that apostles should not be greedy, interested only in accumulating wealth; they should be examples of God’s love and provision.
Jews supported their rabbis and this they judged to be a privilege as well as an obligation being hospitality an important religious tradition. The apostles are told to dwell in a respectable household, to bless the residents with God’s peace and to be satisfied with the food and lodging they receive, not to seek better. They are to preach “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons.”
Two serious concerns to ponder today:
First, where is our security? Are we enslaved by the things we possess? How free are we to live a fully Christian life as envisioned by the Gospel? How free are we to do the things Jesus says we should do: to bring healing and peace into people’s lives?
Second, what kind of hospitality do we give to those-whoever they are-who generously do the Lord’s work?
Two kinds of mission:
We have a mission of witness: every Christian has a duty to evangelize the world by sharing with others, not just words, ideas or doctrines, but our experience of God and His Son, Jesus.
We also have a mission of deliverance: there are many demons that can dominate the lives of people around us, making them helpless slaves-we must, however, identify and discern first: what are my places from where I expect to implement deliverance.

Fr Joby Kavungal RCJ
BASILICA Sanctuary San Antonio, Messina