Dear Friend,
The Gospel last Sunday related how Matthew, when called by Jesus, had undergone a "paradigm shift" to respond to Him.
The Gospel this Sunday relates how Jesus makes a decision. Know this and hope that this knowledge of Jesus will help us make a "paradigm shift" in our life -- by discerning how Jesus would respond to given situations.
In other words, this Gospel reveals the basis of the CFM methodology of "Observe-Judge-Act," or "Review of Life."
Please read this Gospel (Matthew 9:36-10:8) and discuss it with your family.
"At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.’ " (v.36-38)
"At the sight of the crowds ..." -- Jesus saw the situation of the crowds. He used His "senses" to know the situation of the crowds.
"his heart was moved with pity for them ..." -– Jesus felt pity for the crowds. Seeing the situation of the crowds, Jesus becomes aware how His inner self received the situation.
"... because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few’." –- Jesus searches for the meaning of the situation of the crowds that He saw. The meaning is: the crowds are lost without someone to guide them.
"... ‘so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.’ " -– Reviewing what He saw, how He felt about it, its meaning to Him, and Jesus then discerns what His Father (the master of the harvest) would do in the situation. It is to "send out laborers for His harvest."
And His response was to send His Twelve Disciples to be "shepherds" to the crowds.
Meditation ~
Following Jesus does not mean doing only what He does but also how to sense with the senses of Jesus, how to feel with heart of Jesus, how to think with His mind, and how to have faith in the Father.
This is how Jesus becomes alive in His disciples.
Contemplation ~
Imagine yourself standing beside Jesus looking at the crowds who are like sheep without a shepherd.
Try to experience what went in the heart and mind of Jesus looking at the crowds.
Silently look at them and search how you feel about them and its meaning to you.
Find out how the situation will move you, as you may soon be sent to shepherd His sheep.
Family Response ~
Talk about how you are being moved by the situation of the crowds. Are there such crowds in your parish?
Any "paradigm shift" in your life?
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
www.simbahayan.org
servants@simbahayan.org
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