Dear Friend,
The Gospel this Sunday is the last part of the instructions of Jesus to His disciples who were being sent on mission, according to Matthew (10:37-42). Jesus engaging us into a dialogue through the Gospel, these might as well be His instructions to us.
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"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me ..." -- Jesus was not telling His disciples not to love their fathers or mothers, sons or daughters. Rather, what Jesus wanted from a disciple was for them to love Him more than anything or anyone else. Peter, Andrew, James and John obeyed Him when they left everything and followed Jesus. Matthew, as related in a recent Gospel, likewise left everything to follow Him. These are examples of what is called now a "paradigm shift" of the disciples.
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"... and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." -- When Peter, and the other disciples turned away from their life as fishermen, and Matthew as a moneyed tax collector, they did not know that they would also have to take up their crosses, meaning, to go through their own passion and suffering, until Jesus told them so. We know now that some of them would be crucified like Jesus.
The second part of the Gospel is about the rewards the people will get for receiving a disciple, then and now. No matter how insignificant a disciple is, for as long as he/she is treated as a disciple, the Father will recognize the gesture. This is very encouraging to any disciple to know that the least among them would be recognized as a disciple of Jesus.
"And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple –- amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." (v.42)
Meditation ~
If I am truly a disciple of Christ, I should love Him more than anything or anyone else – my life must be centered on Him alone.
To love Jesus is to carry my cross while turning away from anything that, or anyone who prevents me from following Him.
I will not be a credible disciple of Christ unless I do these.
What or who are these?
Contemplation ~
Imagine yourself standing beside Jesus as He gives final instructions to His disciples. Listen to His words. Search yourself. How you feel hearing His words? How will I respond to Him?
Family Response ~
Talk about how you will respond to Jesus to be able to support each other follow Him.
Joe & Charito
THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF MANILA'S
ONLINE RESOURCE FOR FAMILY MINISTRIES
www.simbahayan.org
servants@simbahayan.org
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