Today's gospel passage begins with the words: Jesus summoned his ... disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits (Mt 10:1). Even if they had spent quite some time with Jesus, even if they had heard his words on many occasions, even if they had come to believe them, were they ready for the day when he gave them such authority?
Jesus knew that the disciples needed to be encouraged, so even as he sent them out, he had to give them directions about what they were to do: Go ... to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ... and say to them: the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Mt 10:6-7).
Even today, Jesus sends us - his modern-day disciples - with the same instructions. We are the ones he instructs every day to go out in search of the lost, the lonely, the ignored, the little ones ... so that we can truly understand their hunger, their thirst, and their desire to know that no one is alone. The truth is that like the first disciples, we ourselves are loved infinitely, we ourselves once were lost but have been found, we ourselves have been invited to hear the words: the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Have a great day.
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