Matthew 9: 36 - 10:8
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061426.cfm
O God, strength of those how hope in you, graciously hear our pleas,
and since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,
grant as always the help of you grace,
that in following your commands we may please you
by our resolve and our deeds.
(from Preface for Mass)
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Many of us have prized possessions or family heirlooms that we hold on to rather than donate to someone else, no matter how worthy their need may be. They are priceless to us because they have some family attachment or some personal memory, as a piece of jewellery or a watch may have.
Well this Sunday we
hear that even God has a special possession and that possession is us; you and
me, humanity created in the image and likeness of God. He does not want to give us up and he hopes
to gain our full attention. As Pope Leo XIV states in the title of his
encyclical: Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). This precious
value is spoken of in our first reading:
“You shall be my
special possession, dearer to me than all other people.” We hear these
comforting words from the Book of Exodus in this Sunday’s first reading. I
would emphasize that God is saying “you”—not someone else, not something else,
but you.
In our Gospel passage
from Matthew, that same theme carries over from as we hear: “At the sight of the
crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled
and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”
I find that line
beautiful and heart wrenching at the same time.
Jesus pity is because they lack effective leadership. The leader, “shepherd,” is appointed to lead
and guide, to form and inspire in the law of God but they have no one to do
that for them so they wander like sheep lost with no direction.
Not only on a social
level but indeed on a deeper level of faith which would give meaning and
purpose to their lives.
Isn’t this true in
nations when those elected as prime ministers, presidents, even kings and
queens are ineffective and that nation is submitted to a more dictatorial and
often violent leadership. We need not
look very far in our world today to see such leaders who care more for themselves
than the people they represent.
The same is true in
the Church; the danger of poor leaders is glaringly obvious with any casual
read of Church history. At the same
time, we find ourselves in spired and moved by saintly, morally upright,
selfless and outstanding leadership as well.
But scandal should be avoided at all cost.
So Jesus calls us to
pray, to pray for an abundant harvest of good leaders, shepherds after his own
heart and mind. And then he turns to his
own disciples, who become Apostles, and calls them to be the new leaders of the
new Christian faith. Those who will root
the Gospel in culture and society and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, will
establish a new world order, the kingdom of heaven on earth. Jesus states: “As you go, make this
proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost
you are to give.”
Brothers and sisters,
we are commissioned, each in our own way, to go out and by our example, in some
cases our leadership, to establish Gospel values in society in our time and
place. We can’t change the world, but we
are called to be faithful missionary disciples of the Lord.
Jesus wants to use us
and with the gifts given to each of us for the upbuilding of God’s kingdom
here, we are his hands and his feet. Let’s
be good harvesters of the crop God has planted.
Peace and good
mission.
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