First reading Genesis 46:1-7,28-30
‘I can die, now that I have seen you alive’
Israel left Canaan with his possessions, and reached Beersheba. There he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in a vision at night, ‘Jacob, Jacob’, he said. ‘I am here’, he replied. ‘I am God, the God of your father’, he continued. ‘Do not be afraid of going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I myself will go down to Egypt with you. I myself will bring you back again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.’ Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons conveyed their father Jacob, their little children and their wives in the waggons Pharaoh had sent to fetch him.
Taking their livestock and all that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, they went to Egypt, Jacob and all his family with him: his sons and his grandsons, his daughters and his grand-daughters, in a word, all his children he took with him to Egypt.
Israel sent Judah ahead to Joseph, so that the latter might present himself to him in Goshen. When they arrived in the land of Goshen, Joseph had his chariot made ready and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. As soon as he appeared he threw his arms round his neck and for a long time wept on his shoulder. Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I can die, now that I have seen you again, and seen you still alive.’
Responsorial Psalm 36(37):3-4,18-19,27-28,39-40
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord.
Gospel Matthew 10:16-23
The Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.
‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.’
_________________________________________________
Challenging path of the mission
In today’s Gospel, Jesus presents the challenging reality of following Him and collaborating with Him in the mission. Mission involves living a life of love, which means speaking the truth in love, working for justice and fairness, building bridges for reconciliation and serving and caring for the poor. By doing so, we might find tensions from those who reject the values of the gospel that we embody.
The message Jesus conveys is that we should not give up or keep our heads down. Instead, we must be courageous in witnessing to Jesus and upholding what He stands for. The good news is that we are not alone in this journey. Jesus promises us that the Holy Spirit will be with us to guide us as we live our faith in Him. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to empower us to be faithful to the end.
Reflective question:
When faced with opposition, criticism and rejection from others while trying to live my Christian faith, do I rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
