Matthew 9:35-10:1, 5a, 6-8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages,

teaching in their synagogues,

proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,

and curing every disease and illness.

At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his Twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out

and to cure every disease and every illness.

Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,

“Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead,

cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, I am a lost sheep at times. I can wander from the fold when I choose the path of sin. Help me always to remain in communion with you, with your Son as my Shepherd, and with my brothers and sisters, my fellow sheep.

Encountering the Word of God

1. You Shall See Your Teacher: The prophet Isaiah promised that the people of Jerusalem would one day see their Teacher (Isaiah 30:19-21). This prophecy comes to fulfillment in Jesus, who went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues” (Matthew 9:35). Much of Jesus’ teaching in the synagogues showed how what was promised in the scriptures is now fulfilled in his person. In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus declared that Isaiah’s prophecies about the Great Jubilee Year were fulfilled in their hearing (Luke 4:16-30). In the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus argued that the provision of manna in the desert under Moses was a sign that pointed to the Bread of Life, his flesh and blood, that he would provide (John 6:22-59). He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in synagogues (Matthew 4:23 and Luke 4:43-44). In the synagogues, Jesus likely explained the mystery of the Kingdom through parables that concealed the mystery from the prideful and, at the same time, revealed it to the humble. How can I better be a disciple of Jesus and center my life on his teachings?

2. The Gospel of the Kingdom: Jesus is a compassionate teacher and healer. At the heart of his teaching and preaching is the Gospel of the Kingdom. Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom. It was first announced to the children of Israel, but it is intended to welcome people from all nations. To enter the Kingdom, one must first accept Jesus’ word (CCC, 543). The Kingdom belongs not to the prideful, but to the poor and lowly, to those who have accepted it with humble hearts. The “poor in spirit” are blessed, and to them belongs the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus has revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to little ones and hidden it from the wise and the learned. “Jesus shares the life of the poor, from the cradle to the cross; he experiences hunger, thirst, and privation. Jesus identifies himself with the poor of every kind and makes active love toward them the condition for entering his kingdom (CCC, 544). Jesus invites sinners to the table of the Kingdom; he invites them to that conversion without which one cannot enter the Kingdom. He shows the poor and humble in both word and deed his Father’s boundless mercy for them, and the heavenly joy over one sinner who repents. “The supreme proof of his love will be the sacrifice of his own life ‘for the forgiveness of sins’” (CCC, 545). Do I meditate often on the mystery of the Kingdom? What attachments to pride keep me from understanding this mystery?

3. The Twelve Share in Jesus’ Authority: Jesus gave the Twelve disciples a share in his authority and power (Matthew 10:1). “The Twelve will now do what Jesus himself has been doing by himself, as he shares with them his authority to teach, preach, exorcise, and heal. Indeed, they are to proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (10:7), as John the Baptist did in 3:2 and Jesus himself did in 4:17). Here we see the identity of Jesus connected with the Church. Ultimately the Church is Christ’s body, doing what he does” (Huizenga, Behold the Christ, 214). The signs worked by Jesus invite people to believe in him. And to those who turn to Jesus in faith, he grants what they ask. The miraculous healings of Jesus strengthen faith in him who does the Father’s works. They bear witness that he is the Son of God. And Jesus’ disciples and their successors will continue his works in works of charity and the Sacraments of the Church, which bring eternal life, healing, comfort, forgiveness, and communion. Do I see the Sacraments as efficacious signs of grace? Do I need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent to be healed?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd of my soul, send forth your Spirit into my heart and renew me from within. I repent of my sins and ask for your healing grace.

Living the Word of God: How can I better be a disciple of Jesus and center my life on his teachings? Do I meditate often on the mystery of the Kingdom? What attachments to pride keep me from understanding this mystery? Do I see the Sacraments as efficacious signs of grace in the Kingdom? Do I need to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent to be healed?