25th Week in Ordinary Time
27th September 2023 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Ezra 9:5-9
At the evening sacrifice I, Ezra, rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. But now for a brief moment favour has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.”
Tobit 13:1b-2, 3-4a, 6efgh, 6ij, 8 (R. 1b)
R/. Blessed is God who lives for ever.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/.The kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Luke 9:1-6
At that time: Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: A Mission that is power-packed!
Guidlines: We are sent on the very same mission of the Lord, to bring a healing touch to the world languishing in sin and precarity. This is possible only with the power of the Lord{alertSuccess}
1. Jesus calls us not just to keep us with himself in his personal service. But essentially he trains us in discipleship for a mission. Thus all discipleship is for apostleship. It is his own mission which he himself received from the Father.
2. That is, to establish the kingdom of God here on earth. It is the reign of God’s love, justice, and peace. This reminds us that we should never privatize the mission. We should always bear in mind that we are only stewards and care-makers and not owners and proprietors.
3. This should constantly foster within us a profound sense of humility and accountability toward the mission. It is entrusted and not self-created.
4. Therefore, in a true mission, there is no scope for self-projection self-promotion, or self-glory. Any seeking of self-interests is a contradiction to the very sense of mission. A sense of dutifulness and faithfulness marks a true mission.
5. Any attempts at establishing petty kingdoms based on affinities like caste, region, language, culture, rite et cetera are totally hostile to the commitment to the one kingdom of God. And any forces of disunity, division, and discrimination are against the very concept of mission.
6. This kingdom–-mission is carried out through preaching and healing, that is, both by the power of word and deed. Therefore a faithful mission cannot be partial, merely confined to preaching, however powerful it be. It must be blended with corresponding works of goodness.
7. Two essential requirements or conditions for this mission are repentance and trust in God’s mercy and detachment and dependence on God’s providence. It is that profound spirit of repentance and trust exemplified in Ezra’s prayer in the first reading:
8. “Our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens; we have been in great guilt”. “Yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended to us His steadfast love”
9. Another pre-requisite is detachment and entrustment to God’s providential care. This is seen in Jesus’ exhortation: “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money, and no extra tunic”.
10. This is not to depend on worldly securities and guarantees, not to be attached to them. It is because we have God Himself, our greatest source and resource, our strength and provider.
11. When we take up His mission in trust and entrustment, then surely God will equip us with His own power and authority over all demons and sicknesses. However, we need not lose heart when we face resistance and rejection. That is part of the test of our mission. We must accept such experiences with patience and forbearance.
12. St Vincent de Paul whom we commemorate today is a great example of this perseverance and fidelity. He dedicated his priestly life to preaching and founded the Congregation of the Priests of the Mission or Lazarists (Vincentians). He also spent his life in selfless service, especially to the slaves. He is renowned as the “Great Apostle of Charity”.
Practice: When God is with us, no one and nothing can be against us. In all our missionary endeavours, what should be uppermost in our minds is fidelity to His will and plans. Let us not be caught up with worldly concerns like success or winning{alertSuccess}