Lectionary: 388
Reading 1
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.
They cried one to the other,
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!”
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, “Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!”
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 93:1ab, 1cd-2, 5
R. (1a) The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
The LORD is king, in splendor robed;
robed is the LORD and girt about with strength.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
And he has made the world firm,
not to be moved.
Your throne stands firm from of old;
from everlasting you are, O LORD.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Your decrees are worthy of trust indeed:
holiness befits your house,
O LORD, for length of days.
R. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.
Gospel
Matthew 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
“Therefore do not be afraid of them.
Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed,
nor secret that will not be known.
What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light;
what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul;
rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna.
Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin?
Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.
Even all the hairs of your head are counted.
So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father.”
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS
"Whoever acknowledges Me before men I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven." –Matthew 10:32
Jesus' disciples are slandered (see Mt 10:25) and persecuted (2 Tm 3:12). Nonetheless, they remain fearless (see Mt 10:26, 28, 31), bold, and free witnesses, acknowledging and proclaiming Jesus, even before the most hostile of men (Mt 10:32). Jesus' disciples are not intimidated and manipulated. In their personal weakness, God's power in them reaches perfection (2 Cor 12:9). They even rejoice that they are judged worthy of ill-treatment for the sake of Jesus' name (Acts 5:41).
The fearless freedom and joyful boldness of Jesus' disciples shocks the world. The worldly find it hard to believe that Christians are really what they seem to be. Some people in this world even ask Christians the reason for their hope, joy, and freedom (1 Pt 3:15). Although the world baits, tests, and fears authentic Christians, it holds them in great esteem (Acts 5:13), while despising phony, lukewarm Christians.
May we all be authentic Christians, a people to be reckoned with and worthy of being persecuted for love of Jesus.
PRAYER: Father, may zeal for Your house consume me (Jn 2:17).
PROMISE: " 'Here I am,' I said; 'send me!' " –Is 6:8
PRAISE: As Fr. Juan suffered from terminal cancer, he publicly witnessed to his faith in Jesus by proclaiming: "I don't know what the future holds, but I know Who holds the future."
Be an inspiration, kindly Share.
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