First reading Isaiah 6:1-8
Isaiah’s lips cleansed with a burning coal
In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying.
And they cried out to one another in this way,
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts.
His glory fills the whole earth.’
The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said:
‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost,
for I am a man of unclean lips
and I live among a people of unclean lips,
and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:
‘See now, this has touched your lips,
your sin is taken away,
your iniquity is purged.’
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:
‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’
I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’
Responsorial Psalm 92(93):1-2,5
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed;
the Lord has robed himself with might,
he has girded himself with power.
The world you made firm, not to be moved;
your throne has stood firm from of old.
From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
Truly your decrees are to be trusted.
Holiness is fitting to your house,
O Lord, until the end of time.
Gospel Matthew 10:24-33
Everything now hidden will be made clear
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household?
‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops.
‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.
‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.’
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God cares
In the first reading, we read about the call of the Prophet Isaiah. He recognises his sinful condition, saying, “What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips…” However, God does not call perfect people; instead, He empowers those He chooses. He cleanses Isaiah’s unclean lips and makes him an instrument to speak His words to the people of Israel. God calls us today to be His prophets. Let us allow Him to touch and heal our weaknesses so that we can courageously become witnesses to His love.
In the Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples, and us today, for a mission that He knows will not be easy. We will encounter misunderstanding and opposition. Therefore, Jesus reassures us three times, saying, “Do not be afraid,” and highlights God’s care for even the smallest sparrows. If God our Father cares for them, we can trust that He will care for us even more. Today, let us anchor ourselves in God’s love, especially in moments of fear or doubt.
Reflective question:
Do I truly trust Jesus when He tells me, “Do not be afraid”?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
