Gospel (Mt 10:1-7)

Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

Commentary

Today we see Jesus choosing his closest disciples, and granting them special powers with specific instructions on how to announce the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus does not wait for the hour of the resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit to trust in the active assistance of his disciples. Right from the first moment, they receive abundant heavenly gifts that make them similar to the Master, to carry out the mission of spreading the Kingdom.

A glance at history shows us how our Lord has always wanted to rely on men and women in his plans for salvation. He is not an irresistible God, by whose overpowering action everyone is immediately transformed.

On the contrary, in his ardent desire to establish the Kingdom of heaven and redeem human hearts, God “dares,” so to speak, to rely on us to carry it out. He relies on our free response and cooperation to make his Kingdom a reality.

Jesus relies on us, today, now, without waiting for a more favorable moment when we might feel better prepared, which will never come about since we will never be worthy ambassadors of his message of salvation. We have to say yes, now, when He passes by and calls us And from our generosity, God will bring about an effective and faithful apostle.