First reading Deuteronomy 4:32-34,39-40
The Lord is God indeed: he and no other
Moses said to the people: ‘Put this question to the ages that are past, that went before you, from the time God created man on earth: Was there ever a word so majestic, from one end of heaven to the other? Was anything ever heard? Did ever a people hear the voice of the living God speaking from the heart of the fire, as you heard it, and remain alive? Has any god ventured to take to himself one nation from the midst of another by ordeals, signs, wonders, war with mighty hand and outstretched arm, by fearsome terrors – all this that the Lord your God did for you before your eyes in Egypt?
‘Understand this today, therefore, and take it to heart: the Lord is God indeed, in heaven above as on earth beneath, he and no other. Keep his laws and commandments as I give them to you today, so that you and your children may prosper and live long in the land that the Lord your God gives you for ever.’
Responsorial Psalm 32(33):4-6,9,18-20,22
Happy the people the Lord has chosen as his own.
For the word of the Lord is faithful
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right
and fills the earth with his love.
By his word the heavens were made,
by the breath of his mouth all the stars.
He spoke; and it came to be.
He commanded; it sprang into being.
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in you.
Second reading Romans 8:14-17
The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God
Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God. And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory.
Gospel Matthew 28:16-20
Go and make disciples of all nations
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
________________________________________________
A commandment and a promise
Jesus wanted to meet with His disciples before He ascended to heaven, and He asked them to go to a familiar place, Galilee. What important message did the Lord want to communicate to the disciples? “Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations”. Jesus was about to return to the Father, and now, the disciples would have the task of representing Him, living His mission, and bringing the Good News to the whole world. He promised them that He would always be with them.
Today, we are Jesus’ disciples. By our baptism, we received the same commandment to go out and share the Good News of Jesus. For example, when we are in a conversation with someone at work about a moral issue, the Lord tells us, “Go! Be brave and share my values!”; or when we struggle to go the extra mile of offering forgiveness in a relationship, we can hear from Jesus, “Go! Show my merciful love!”. The Lord promises us, as He did to His first disciples, that He will always be with us and that we will never be alone in living our mission of love.
Reflective question:
Do I count on Jesus to live my mission?
Do I count on Jesus to live my mission?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
