Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:1-7

Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Jesus called each of his twelve Apostles by name to go out among the people of Israel and preach the Word and to heal those afflicted with disease and illness.  They were sent out not to preach to the non-Jews, but to preach to the Jews who had fallen away.  We too are called to do the same today.  We called to go out among those who have fallen away from the church and to heal them of the aliments which keep them from the Eucharistic table.  Do you hear the call of God to be his servant? He calls all of us to celebrate at his table because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The kingdom of heaven is made up of all those people who hear the calling and are willing submit their lives to God and the message of the Gospel. He called these twelve men to be the first twelve men of the New Covenant. These men were ordinary people just as you and I. They we not kings or rulers, but common people who gave up their life for Christ. These men answered faithfully to the grace of their calling. When Jesus walked this earth, He spread a message of hope and joy. He sent these new apostles out into the world to spread the good news. These men gave up everything they owned for the glory of God. When God calls us to serve, we must also be willing to faithfully commit to him. We must be willing to hear the calling and respond with our lives. This is the year of the Priest.  In this year of the Priest, we should all go out and invite those who have fallen away back to the flock.  It is time to invite your friends and neighbors who once attended church but maybe have stopped for some reason.  Ask them to join you this Sunday at Mass.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I am your apostle.

Give the strength I need to spread your word.

Give me the wisdom I need to speak the truth.

May I always be a servant of your glory.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon