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Once again today we hear Jesus proclaiming that his disciples should not surrender to fear as they carry out their mission. He even tells his followers that they are worth more than an entire flock of sparrows and that every hair on their head has been counted. Jesus assures us that God’s loving, fatherly care accompanies us in all of life’s diverse situations.
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Our Gospel reading today presents the beginning of the famous “mission discourse” by the Evangelist Matthew; it covers all of chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel. Since our Catholic Church is missionary by her very nature and identity, much has been written about missionary evangelization over the centuries. To enhance your meditation and reflection, this presentation simply provides a series of quotes from various sources to enrich your missionary journey of faith.
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Our feast today is Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ; more formally, it is termed: The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. Today’s Gospel is drawn from chapter six of John’s Gospel, often termed the “bread of life” chapter. Here Jesus declares: “I am the bread of life…. I am the bread that came down from heaven…. My flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.” Hearing Jesus’ words, many of his ordinary followers abandoned him. The Twelve stayed with Jesus; Peter declared: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
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Today is Trinity Sunday; it comes just one week after the beautiful feast of Pentecost that celebrates the dynamic presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in the entire world. Our “Trinitarian” Christian faith asserts that there is one God who is three distinct persons existing as a community of self-giving and loving relationships with each other. Yes, God is love (1 Jn 4:8); each person (Father, Son, and Spirit) is fundamentally a fountain of overflowing love!
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On this beautiful feast of Pentecost, we affirm that the Holy Spirit is alive in the Church. Diverse Spirit-given gifts flourish in Christian communities across the globe. Today we Catholics are privileged to live in a renewed Church, in a unique age of “a new Pentecost”! Recall that just last year the Church rejoiced as she observed the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council by Pope John XXIII in 1962. Vatican II was only the 21st ecumenical council in the Church’s entire history.
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As we celebrate the feast of the Ascension today, we are reminded that the task of Christians is to preserve the dynamic, enriching, and salvific memory of Jesus. Mission permeates the entire New Testament; some important mission texts are simply listed here: Matthew 28:16-20 (today’s Gospel); Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:45-48, 10:1-16; John 20:19-23, 13:12-15; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:2-5. All these passages contain Jesus’ “mission commands.”
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Today’s Scripture readings all speak of God’s continuing and abiding presence with us. The first reading narrates how God remains with the people of Samaria as they receive the Holy Spirit. Next, the Apostle Peter speaks of Christ’s presence in people’s hearts. In the Gospel Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, assuring his followers: “I will not leave you orphans” (Jn 14:18). God’s loving presence has been shown to us in numerous ways. Personally, since today is Mother’s Day, I think of how we have experienced genuine love from our dear parents.
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In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus saying: “I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full” (Jn 10:10). Reflecting on this passage about the “fullness of life,” I am reminded of a special anniversary the Church is celebrating this year: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-2023). This “little flower” has helped many appreciate what “fullness of life” can mean.
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The narrative from Luke’s Gospel of the journey of two disciples to Emmaus is well known and loved (Lk 24:13-35). We can imagine the scene: two men are walking; they are dejected, sad, and overwhelmed by recent events. Jesus, their dear friend and presumed messiah, met with a terrible end: an ignoble death by crucifixion on Calvary. There is nothing else to do: leave Jerusalem; return home to Emmaus; begin life all over again. That chapter of life has been permanently closed!
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With deep faith and courageous hope, Saint Maximilian Kolbe endured the extreme horrors of Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration camp in Poland. He proved that self-giving love and compassion can thrive even in extreme darkness and cruelty. His heroic life inspired other prisoners, giving them hope that kindness and self-sacrifice were possible—even in Auschwitz. This “factory of death” functioned from 1940 until 1945; studies demonstrate that between 1.1 and 1.5 million people perished there.
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Allow me to tell you about a unique celebration of Easter from the Philippines, where I happily served as a missionary for over five decades. Filipinos celebrate a ritual, known locally as the “meeting” (encuentro); it dramatizes the encounter of the risen Lord and his mother Mary on Easter morning.
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Today on Palm Sunday as the second reading, the Church gives us a beautiful Christological hymn from Saint Paul. Philippians 2:6-11 speaks about the kenosis, the “self-emptying” of Jesus. While maintaining the full divinity and full humanity of Jesus, Paul says that Jesus voluntarily condescended and “emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave” (v. 7); he did this in profound humility and freely accepted death on a cross. God the Father has exulted Jesus through the resurrection: Jesus is Lord and Savior of the world.
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Today, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, we hear the astounding story of the resurrection of Lazarus. There is a marvelous amount of detail in this Gospel account! We learn so much about Jesus, his person, his mission, his compassionate heart.
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As we read the scriptures during Lent, we should recall that the readings are specifically chosen to be a “catechesis” [faith instruction] for those who will be baptized during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday; we all renew our baptismal promises during that liturgy. Thus, we ask: What is today’s Gospel (Jn 9:1-41) of the “man born blind” teaching us about our faith and the person of Jesus?
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Today’s Gospel, a deeply touching human-interest story, describes the lively encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Their conversation revolves around water, about various senses of “living water,” and how our thirst for God may be satisfied.
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Each year on the second Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading is always a narrative of Jesus’ Transfiguration. The episode confirms Jesus’ prophecy of his passion; it is also intended to strengthen the disciples to endure Jesus’ coming death with faith. The Father’s voice is heard: “This is my beloved Son on whom my favor rests. Listen to him.” Then, Jesus speaks to Peter, James and John, telling them: “Get up! Do not be afraid”! Jesus is advising his disciples—and us: Have faith! Do not submit to fear and doubt! What beautiful, practical advice!
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Jesus is our model as Christians, both in all of life and especially during the season of Lent. Matthew, in today’s Gospel, narrates how Jesus was led into the desert where he fasted and prayed for forty days. Then, the devil comes to tempt him, seeking to turn him away from his mission. Finally, Jesus commands the devil to leave: “Away with you, Satan!”
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Our reflection today focuses on the brief, yet profoundly insightful, first reading where we hear some very concrete, practical advice from the Book of Leviticus: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (19:18). Indeed, there is one debt that we will always owe and never be able to pay fully. The command to love remains constant; love can never say: “I’ve done enough.”
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Our Gospel today and the Gospel of next Sunday together form an integral section of Jesus’ profound Sermon on the Mount. It is commonly called Jesus’ “six antitheses.” We know that an “antithesis” is an alternate assertion different from the original “thesis.” Thus, Jesus is giving a new, more profound interpretation of six basic elements of Jewish law.
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Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples and “sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Lk 10:1). From among his many disciples, Jesus also chose twelve as his apostles. Jesus taught his disciples; he also sent them as his apostles, his missionaries to the world. They were to speak in his name and conduct themselves as models of peace, charity and humility, proclaiming that “the Kingdom of God is near” (Lk 10:9) ...
ACCESS THE FULL EPISODE: https://maryknollsociety.org/mission-stories/journey-of-faith-february-5-2023/
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