In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:6-11
Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:36—10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ 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. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather 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.”
The words of the Popes “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (v. 2).
On the one hand, God, like a sower, has generously gone out into the world, throughout history, and sowed in people’s hearts a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and for salvation that sets us free. The harvest, then, is plentiful. The Kingdom of God grows like a seed in the ground, and the women and men of today, even when seemingly overwhelmed by so many other things, still yearn for a greater truth; they search for a fuller meaning for their lives, desire justice, and carry within themselves a longing for eternal life.
On the other hand, however, there are few laborers to go out into the field sown by the Lord; few who are able to distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for harvesting (…).
To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 6 July 2025)
Reading of the day A reading from the Book of Exodus 19:2-6a
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to God. Then the LORD called to him and said, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob; tell the Israelites: You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians and how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” Responsorial Psalm From Psalm 99 (100)
R. We are his people, the flock he leads.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you earth; serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with rejoicing. R.
Know that the Lord alone is God: he made us, and we are his, his people and the sheep of his pasture. R.
The Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, his faithfulness from generation to generation. R.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans 5:6-11
Brothers and sisters: Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Gospel of the day From the Gospel according to Matthew 9:36—10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ 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. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather 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.”
The words of the Popes “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (v. 2).
On the one hand, God, like a sower, has generously gone out into the world, throughout history, and sowed in people’s hearts a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and for salvation that sets us free. The harvest, then, is plentiful. The Kingdom of God grows like a seed in the ground, and the women and men of today, even when seemingly overwhelmed by so many other things, still yearn for a greater truth; they search for a fuller meaning for their lives, desire justice, and carry within themselves a longing for eternal life.
On the other hand, however, there are few laborers to go out into the field sown by the Lord; few who are able to distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for harvesting (…).
To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 6 July 2025)
The Gospel says that Jesus “appointed twelve, to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach” (Mk 3:14); two things: to be with him and to send them to preach. There is one aspect that seems contradictory: He called them to be with him and to go and preach. One would say: either one or the other, either stay or go. But no: for Jesus there is no going without staying and there is no staying without going. It is not easy to understand this, but that’s the way it is. Let us try to understand a little bit what is the sense in which Jesus says these things. First of all, there is no going without staying : before sending the disciples forth on mission, Christ — the Gospel says — “calls them to himself” (cf. Mt 10:1). The proclamation is born from the encounter with the Lord; every Christian activity, especially the mission, begins from there. Not from what is learnt in an academy. No, no! It begins from the encounter with the Lord. Witnessing him, in fact, means radiating him; but, if we do not receive his light, we will be extinguished; if we do not spend time with him, we will bear ourselves instead of him — I am bringing myself and not him — and it will all be in vain. So only those who remain with him can bring the Gospel of Jesus. Anyone who does not remain with him cannot bear the Gospel. He will bring ideas, but not the Gospel. Equally, however, there is no staying without going. In fact, following Christ is not an inward-looking fact: without proclamation, without service, without mission, the relationship with Jesus does not grow. ( P. FRANCIS General Audience, 15 February 2023)
I wish to express my gratitude to those who showed me affection, care and friendship, and assured me of their support in prayer, during my stay at Gemelli Hospital. This human and spiritual closeness was of great help and comfort to me. Thank you all! Thank you! Thank you from my heart!
Today, in the Gospel, Jesus calls [the Apostles] by name — he calls them by name — and sends out the twelve Apostles. As he was sending them out, he asks them to proclaim just one thing: “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10:7). It is the same proclamation with which Jesus began his preaching: the kingdom of God, that is, his lordship of love, has come near; it comes in our midst. And this is not just one piece of news among others, no, but the fundamental reality of life: the closeness of God, the closeness of Jesus.
Indeed, if the God of heaven is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty, we do not lose faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but rather he is a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths, even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the Lord, is there with you. Indeed, often in moments when you are at your weakest, you can feel his presence all the more strongly. He knows the path, he is with you, he is your Father! He is my Father! He is our Father!
Let us linger on this image because proclaiming that God is close is an invitation to think of oneself as a child, who walks hand in hand with his father: everything seems different. The large and mysterious world becomes familiar and secure because the child knows he is protected. He is not afraid, and learns how to open up: he meets other people, finds new friends, joyfully learns things that he did not know, and then returns home and tells everyone what he has seen, while the desire to become a grown-up and do the things he saw his father do, grows within him. This is why Jesus starts out from here. This is why God’s closeness is the first proclamation: by staying close to God, we conquer fear, we open ourselves to love, we grow in goodness and we feel the need and the joy to proclaim.
If we want to be good apostles, we have to be like children: sit “on God’s lap” and, from there, look at the world with trust and love, in order to bear witness that God is the Father, that he alone transforms our hearts and gives us that joy and that peace that we ourselves cannot attain.
To proclaim that God is near — but how can we do this? In the Gospel, Jesus advises not to say many words, but rather to perform many deeds of love and hope in the name of the Lord. Not saying many words, but performing deeds! “Heal the sick”, says the Lord, “raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt 10:8). Here is the heart of proclamation: freely given witness, service. I will tell you something: I am always puzzled by the “talkers” with their endless talk and no action.
At this point, let us ask a few questions: Do we, who believe in God who is close, confide in him? Do we know how to look forward trustfully, like a child who knows he is held in his father’s arms? Do we know how to sit in the Father’s lap with prayer, by listening to the Word, partaking of the Sacraments? And finally, close to him, do we know how to instil courage in others, to make ourselves close to those who suffer and are alone, to those who are distant and even those who are hostile to us? This is the substance of faith. This is what counts. And let us now pray to Mary; may she help us feel we are loved and transmit closeness and trust.
FAUSTI - "'Supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He may send laborers into His harvest,'" Jesus tells His disciples before sending them to continue His own work. Unique is the mission . Is that of the Father who sends His Son to the brethren, that in His brotherhood and among themselves, they may become sons. The disciples, after Him, are called to transmit it in space and time. "As the Father has sent me, so I also send you" (Jn. 20:21). History is history of mission : the one love, which is the life of everything, " moves" the Father toward the Son and the Son toward the Father. But the Son cannot love the Father if He does not love the brothers as He does. That is why He goes toward them, to lead them from exile to the Father's house. The apostle, in turn, is moved by the same love. Vocation and mission have always been conjoined : my vocation as a son is fulfilled in the mission to the brothers . "Seeing the crowds, He was filled with compassion; they were weary and oppressed, like sheep without a shepherd." The eye of the Lord is His judgment, very different from ours. He, Who has a loving heart, has only judgments of salvation. Man, turned away from God is torn, divided from himself and from all, and oppressed, crushed to the ground, unable to stand upright. The shepherd leads to pastures and springs. Without Him the sheep dies. Jesus makes those He will send out on mission partakers of His compassion. Misery is not the place of despair, but of the joy of harvest! For it is precisely in misery that mercy is experienced ; the great gift of God that is God Himself. Humanity is harvest ripe for God's gift. Do not wait for better times . Sin is a place of forgiveness, perdition of salvation. All men, from time immemorial are children of God. But no one knows it. This is the time for one to show him in his compassion as a brother. Jesus is the first worker who works toward the brothers with the same mercy as the Father. He awaits co-workers. One must pray, enter into communion with the Father, in order to become sons and be sent toward the brethren. Like Paul, every believer is driven toward all those who are distant by the same Love of Christ, Who has given His life for all ( 2 Cor. 5:14). "Called" Jesus calls workers to Himself, who will continue to do and say what He, before them, did and said. The Church is born, which has in the twelve the root that unites them to the promised land, to Christ. It is apostolic, not only because it is founded on the Apostles, but because it is made up of apostles, of sons sent to the brethren. The mission always corresponds to one's name, one's history : Moses, "saved from the waters," will save the brethren from the waters, Elijah , "My God is YHWH" will testify to all that only YHWH is God, Jesus, "God-saves," will save the people from their sins! . "Called, He sent them out" The vocation and mission of the Twelve are put one after the other. The two are always together. Indeed, the vocation to be sons is fulfilled in mission to the brethren. They are sent to fish people. Fishermen, fished by the Son to the fraternity, are called to do the same to their brothers. The first mission is to Israel, the firstborn; the apostles and the first church are Jews. Through them salvation will pass to the Gentiles. "Lost sheep of the house of Israel" The first mission is to God's weary and oppressed people.
---->Mission is dynamic : a path to reaching the brethren. The Apostle's home is the way. " Proclaim!" They proclaim a message of joy : the Lord comes to save. The Kingdom is present in them. The proclamation makes them aware of it. "Cure the sick, raise the dead...cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" care of the weak is the great miracle of those who, like Jesus, make themselves servants of their brothers. To make oneself a brother is to resurrect the Son in oneself and in the other. We know that we have passed from life to death because we love our brothers and sisters. Love is new life, free from the leprosy of death and sin. The Spirit of truth casts out the spirit of lies that divides us from the Father and from each other. "In gift ye took, in gift ye give. "Taking" and "giving in gift" is the Trinitarian life. The Father and the Son all give and receive one another, and their mutual gift of Love is the Holy Spirit. The Apostle, by giving what he has received, enters into the bosom of the Trinity. Jesus is the first Apostle. The Church has its roots in Him through the first Apostles, and bears fruit in the apostolate of sons sent to the brethren. Itinerancy and mobility, proclamation of the Word and service to the poor, gratuitousness and poverty are its characteristics, so well embodied by Paul the Apostle.
TONINO BELLO BISHOP HOLY MARY. MISSIONARY WOMAN Holy Mary, missionary woman, grant your Church the joy of rediscovering, hidden among the clods of the verb to send, the roots of her primordial vocation. Help her to measure herself with Christ, and with no one else: as you, who, appearing at the dawn of New Testament revelation beside Him, the great missionary of God, chose Him as the sole standard of your life.
When she lingers within her tents where the cry of the poor does not arrive, give her the courage to come out of the camps. When she is tempted to petrify the mobility of her domicile, remove her from her apparent securities. When she settles on the positions she has achieved, shake her from her sedentary life. Sent by God for the salvation of the world, the Church is made to walk, not settle.
Nomad like you, put in her heart a great passion for man. Pregnant Virgin like you, point her to the geography of suffering. Itinerant mother like you, fill her with tenderness toward all in need. And let her be concerned with nothing else but to present Jesus Christ, as You did with the shepherds, with Simeon, with the magi of the East, and with a thousand other anonymous people awaiting redemption.
Holy Mary, missionary woman, we beseech you for all those who, having felt, more than others, the poignant charm of that icon depicting you next to Christ, the Father's special envoy, have left their dearest affections to proclaim the Gospel in distant lands.
Support them in their toil. Restore their weariness. Protect them from every danger. Give to the gestures with which they bend over the wounds of the poor the features of Your virginal tenderness. Put on their lips words of peace. Let the hope with which they promote earthly justice not override the superhuman expectations of new heavens and new lands. Fill their loneliness. Soften in their souls the pangs of longing. When they feel like crying, offer their head your Mother's shoulder.
Make them witnesses of joy. Whenever they return among us, smelling of the trenches, let us all draw on their enthusiasm. As we compare ourselves with them, may we always appear slower in our pastoral action, poorer in our generosity, more absurd in our opulence. And, catching up on so many guilty delays, let us finally know how to run for cover.
Holy Mary, missionary woman, invigorate our Christian life with that 'ardor that propelled you, bearer of light, on the roads of Palestine. Amphora of the Spirit, pour out your chrism upon us, that we may put in our hearts a longing for the "ends of the earth." And though life binds us to the meridians and parallels where we were born, let us equally feel on our necks the breath of the multitudes who still do not know Jesus. Open wide our eyes that we may discern the afflictions of the world. Do not prevent the clamor of the poor from taking away our stillness. You who in the house of Elizabeth uttered the most beautiful song of liberation theology' inspire us with the boldness of the prophets. Grant that on our lips the words of hope may not sound untrue. Help us to pay with gladness the price of our faithfulness to the Lord. And deliver us from resignation.
A reading from the Book of Exodus
RispondiElimina19:2-6a
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the LORD called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians
and how I bore you up on eagle wings
and brought you here to myself.
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people,
though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
5:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless,
yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to Matthew
9:36—10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ 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.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather 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.”
The words of the Popes
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (v. 2).
On the one hand, God, like a sower, has generously gone out into the world, throughout history, and sowed in people’s hearts a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and for salvation that sets us free. The harvest, then, is plentiful. The Kingdom of God grows like a seed in the ground, and the women and men of today, even when seemingly overwhelmed by so many other things, still yearn for a greater truth; they search for a fuller meaning for their lives, desire justice, and carry within themselves a longing for eternal life.
On the other hand, however, there are few laborers to go out into the field sown by the Lord; few who are able to distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for harvesting (…).
To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 6 July 2025)
RispondiEliminaReading of the day
A reading from the Book of Exodus
19:2-6a
In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.
While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,
Moses went up the mountain to God.
Then the LORD called to him and said,
“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;
tell the Israelites:
You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians
and how I bore you up on eagle wings
and brought you here to myself.
Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my special possession,
dearer to me than all other people,
though all the earth is mine.
You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
Responsorial Psalm
From Psalm 99 (100)
R. We are his people, the flock he leads.
Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you earth;
serve the Lord with gladness;
come before him with rejoicing. R.
Know that the Lord alone is God:
he made us, and we are his,
his people and the sheep of his pasture. R.
The Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
his faithfulness from generation to generation. R.
A reading from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans
5:6-11
Brothers and sisters:
Christ, while we were still helpless,
yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Gospel of the day
From the Gospel according to Matthew
9:36—10:8
At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ 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.
The names of the twelve apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather 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.”
The words of the Popes
Elimina“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (v. 2).
On the one hand, God, like a sower, has generously gone out into the world, throughout history, and sowed in people’s hearts a desire for the infinite, for a fulfilled life and for salvation that sets us free. The harvest, then, is plentiful. The Kingdom of God grows like a seed in the ground, and the women and men of today, even when seemingly overwhelmed by so many other things, still yearn for a greater truth; they search for a fuller meaning for their lives, desire justice, and carry within themselves a longing for eternal life.
On the other hand, however, there are few laborers to go out into the field sown by the Lord; few who are able to distinguish, with the eyes of Jesus, the good grain that is ripe for harvesting (…).
To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom. (Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 6 July 2025)
The Gospel says that Jesus “appointed twelve, to be with Him, and to be sent out to preach” (Mk 3:14); two things: to be with him and to send them to preach. There is one aspect that seems contradictory: He called them to be with him and to go and preach. One would say: either one or the other, either stay or go. But no: for Jesus there is no going without staying and there is no staying without going. It is not easy to understand this, but that’s the way it is. Let us try to understand a little bit what is the sense in which Jesus says these things. First of all, there is no going without staying : before sending the disciples forth on mission, Christ — the Gospel says — “calls them to himself” (cf. Mt 10:1). The proclamation is born from the encounter with the Lord; every Christian activity, especially the mission, begins from there. Not from what is learnt in an academy. No, no! It begins from the encounter with the Lord. Witnessing him, in fact, means radiating him; but, if we do not receive his light, we will be extinguished; if we do not spend time with him, we will bear ourselves instead of him — I am bringing myself and not him — and it will all be in vain. So only those who remain with him can bring the Gospel of Jesus. Anyone who does not remain with him cannot bear the Gospel. He will bring ideas, but not the Gospel. Equally, however, there is no staying without going. In fact, following Christ is not an inward-looking fact: without proclamation, without service, without mission, the relationship with Jesus does not grow. ( P. FRANCIS General Audience, 15 February 2023)
EliminaDear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
EliminaI wish to express my gratitude to those who showed me affection, care and friendship, and assured me of their support in prayer, during my stay at Gemelli Hospital. This human and spiritual closeness was of great help and comfort to me. Thank you all! Thank you! Thank you from my heart!
Today, in the Gospel, Jesus calls [the Apostles] by name — he calls them by name — and sends out the twelve Apostles. As he was sending them out, he asks them to proclaim just one thing: “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Mt 10:7). It is the same proclamation with which Jesus began his preaching: the kingdom of God, that is, his lordship of love, has come near; it comes in our midst. And this is not just one piece of news among others, no, but the fundamental reality of life: the closeness of God, the closeness of Jesus.
Indeed, if the God of heaven is close, we are not alone on earth, and even in difficulty, we do not lose faith. Here is the first thing to say to people: God is not far away, but rather he is a Father. God is not distant, he is a Father, he knows you and he loves you; he wants to take you by the hand, even when you travel on steep and rugged paths, even when you fall and struggle to get up again and get back on track. He, the Lord, is there with you. Indeed, often in moments when you are at your weakest, you can feel his presence all the more strongly. He knows the path, he is with you, he is your Father! He is my Father! He is our Father!
Let us linger on this image because proclaiming that God is close is an invitation to think of oneself as a child, who walks hand in hand with his father: everything seems different. The large and mysterious world becomes familiar and secure because the child knows he is protected. He is not afraid, and learns how to open up: he meets other people, finds new friends, joyfully learns things that he did not know, and then returns home and tells everyone what he has seen, while the desire to become a grown-up and do the things he saw his father do, grows within him. This is why Jesus starts out from here. This is why God’s closeness is the first proclamation: by staying close to God, we conquer fear, we open ourselves to love, we grow in goodness and we feel the need and the joy to proclaim.
If we want to be good apostles, we have to be like children: sit “on God’s lap” and, from there, look at the world with trust and love, in order to bear witness that God is the Father, that he alone transforms our hearts and gives us that joy and that peace that we ourselves cannot attain.
To proclaim that God is near — but how can we do this? In the Gospel, Jesus advises not to say many words, but rather to perform many deeds of love and hope in the name of the Lord. Not saying many words, but performing deeds! “Heal the sick”, says the Lord, “raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay” (Mt 10:8). Here is the heart of proclamation: freely given witness, service. I will tell you something: I am always puzzled by the “talkers” with their endless talk and no action.
At this point, let us ask a few questions: Do we, who believe in God who is close, confide in him? Do we know how to look forward trustfully, like a child who knows he is held in his father’s arms? Do we know how to sit in the Father’s lap with prayer, by listening to the Word, partaking of the Sacraments? And finally, close to him, do we know how to instil courage in others, to make ourselves close to those who suffer and are alone, to those who are distant and even those who are hostile to us? This is the substance of faith. This is what counts.
And let us now pray to Mary; may she help us feel we are loved and transmit closeness and trust.
POPE FRANCIS ANGELUS 18 June 2023
FAUSTI - "'Supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He may send laborers into His harvest,'"
RispondiEliminaJesus tells His disciples before sending them to continue His own work.
Unique is the mission . Is that of the Father who sends His Son to the brethren, that in His brotherhood and among themselves, they may become sons. The disciples, after Him, are called to transmit it in space and time.
"As the Father has sent me, so I also send you" (Jn. 20:21).
History is history of mission : the one love, which is the life of everything, " moves" the Father toward the Son
and the Son toward the Father. But the Son cannot love the Father if He does not love the brothers as He does.
That is why He goes toward them, to lead them from exile to the Father's house.
The apostle, in turn, is moved by the same love.
Vocation and mission have always been conjoined : my vocation as a son is fulfilled in the mission to the brothers .
"Seeing the crowds, He was filled with compassion; they were weary and oppressed, like sheep without a shepherd."
The eye of the Lord is His judgment, very different from ours. He, Who has a loving heart, has only judgments of salvation. Man, turned away from God is torn, divided from himself and from all, and oppressed, crushed to the ground, unable to stand upright. The shepherd leads to pastures and springs. Without Him the sheep dies.
Jesus makes those He will send out on mission partakers of His compassion.
Misery is not the place of despair, but of the joy of harvest! For it is precisely in misery that mercy is experienced ; the great gift of God that is God Himself.
Humanity is harvest ripe for God's gift.
Do not wait for better times . Sin is a place of forgiveness, perdition of salvation.
All men, from time immemorial are children of God. But no one knows it. This is the time for one to show him in his compassion as a brother.
Jesus is the first worker who works toward the brothers with the same mercy as the Father.
He awaits co-workers.
One must pray, enter into communion with the Father, in order to become sons and be sent toward the brethren.
Like Paul, every believer is driven toward all those who are distant by the same Love of Christ, Who has given His life for all ( 2 Cor. 5:14).
"Called" Jesus calls workers to Himself, who will continue to do and say what He, before them, did and said. The Church is born, which has in the twelve the root that unites them to the promised land, to Christ. It is apostolic, not only because it is founded on the Apostles, but because it is made up of apostles, of sons sent to the brethren.
The mission always corresponds to one's name, one's history : Moses, "saved from the waters," will save the brethren from the waters, Elijah , "My God is YHWH" will testify to all that only YHWH is God, Jesus, "God-saves," will save the people from their sins! .
"Called, He sent them out" The vocation and mission of the Twelve are put one after the other. The two are always together. Indeed, the vocation to be sons is fulfilled in mission to the brethren. They are sent to fish people.
Fishermen, fished by the Son to the fraternity, are called to do the same to their brothers.
The first mission is to Israel, the firstborn; the apostles and the first church are Jews.
Through them salvation will pass to the Gentiles.
"Lost sheep of the house of Israel" The first mission is to God's weary and oppressed people.
---->Mission is dynamic : a path to reaching the brethren. The Apostle's home is the way. " Proclaim!" They proclaim a message of joy : the Lord comes to save.
EliminaThe Kingdom is present in them. The proclamation makes them aware of it.
"Cure the sick, raise the dead...cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" care of the weak is the great miracle of those who, like Jesus, make themselves servants of their brothers. To make oneself a brother is to resurrect the Son in oneself and in the other. We know that we have passed from life to death because we love our brothers and sisters. Love is new life, free from the leprosy of death and sin.
The Spirit of truth casts out the spirit of lies that divides us from the Father and from each other.
"In gift ye took, in gift ye give. "Taking" and "giving in gift" is the Trinitarian life.
The Father and the Son all give and receive one another, and their mutual gift of Love is the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle, by giving what he has received, enters into the bosom of the Trinity.
Jesus is the first Apostle.
The Church has its roots in Him through the first Apostles, and bears fruit in the apostolate of sons sent to the brethren. Itinerancy and mobility, proclamation of the Word and service to the poor, gratuitousness and poverty are its characteristics, so well embodied by Paul the Apostle.
TONINO BELLO BISHOP
RispondiEliminaHOLY MARY. MISSIONARY WOMAN
Holy Mary, missionary woman, grant your Church the joy of rediscovering, hidden among the clods of the verb to send, the roots of her primordial vocation. Help her to measure herself with Christ, and with no one else: as you, who, appearing at the dawn of New Testament revelation beside Him, the great missionary of God, chose Him as the sole standard of your life.
When she lingers within her tents where the cry of the poor does not arrive, give her the courage to come out of the camps. When she is tempted to petrify the mobility of her domicile, remove her from her apparent securities. When she settles on the positions she has achieved, shake her from her sedentary life. Sent by God for the salvation of the world, the Church is made to walk, not settle.
Nomad like you, put in her heart a great passion for man. Pregnant Virgin like you, point her to the geography of suffering. Itinerant mother like you, fill her with tenderness toward all in need. And let her be concerned with nothing else but to present Jesus Christ, as You did with the shepherds, with Simeon, with the magi of the East, and with a thousand other anonymous people awaiting redemption.
Holy Mary, missionary woman, we beseech you for all those who, having felt, more than others, the poignant charm of that icon depicting you next to Christ, the Father's special envoy, have left their dearest affections to proclaim the Gospel in distant lands.
Support them in their toil. Restore their weariness. Protect them from every danger. Give to the gestures with which they bend over the wounds of the poor the features of Your virginal tenderness. Put on their lips words of peace. Let the hope with which they promote earthly justice not override the superhuman expectations of new heavens and new lands. Fill their loneliness. Soften in their souls the pangs of longing. When they feel like crying, offer their head your Mother's shoulder.
Make them witnesses of joy. Whenever they return among us, smelling of the trenches, let us all draw on their enthusiasm. As we compare ourselves with them, may we always appear slower in our pastoral action, poorer in our generosity, more absurd in our opulence. And, catching up on so many guilty delays, let us finally know how to run for cover.
Holy Mary, missionary woman, invigorate our Christian life with that 'ardor that propelled you, bearer of light, on the roads of Palestine. Amphora of the Spirit, pour out your chrism upon us, that we may put in our hearts a longing for the "ends of the earth." And though life binds us to the meridians and parallels where we were born, let us equally feel on our necks the breath of the multitudes who still do not know Jesus. Open wide our eyes that we may discern the afflictions of the world. Do not prevent the clamor of the poor from taking away our stillness. You who in the house of Elizabeth uttered the most beautiful song of liberation theology' inspire us with the boldness of the prophets. Grant that on our lips the words of hope may not sound untrue. Help us to pay with gladness the price of our faithfulness to the Lord. And deliver us from resignation.
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