Sunday Gospel Comment
Alberic Jacovone OSB
YEAR A ELEVENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR - 12.6.05 Ex 19,2-6; Rom 5,6-11; Mt 9,36-10,8 Has God chosen & sent You? Called
in & sent out - to build a Kingdom. Today’s Gospel reminds us that Jesus came to set
up God’s Kingdom. Jesus’ preaching made a deep impression on everyone &
soon a ‘Jesus Movement’ arose around him: lots of people, especially
‘little people’ & outcasts followed him everywhere. Indeed Jesus felt
sorry for them because they were harassed & dejected, as sheep that are lost
& without a shepherd. All kinds ‘little & troubled people’ flocked
to Jesus, in search of hope, healing & dignity.
Jesus of course comforted & healed many.. But this was only the
start: Jesus came to create a Kingdom of God that would last forever. He
launched it with the powerful words: Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at
hand’. From the start he made his business to call people of every walk of
life, & ask them to follow him, & challenge them to become his disciples
& with him establish a Kingdom where people, especially the downtrodden
& outcasts, could experience what it is like, to be loved by God, abide in
his loving care & say: ‘we are God’s people sheep of his flock’. Well,
many people responded - & have continued to respond from one generation to
the next, right to our own days. In 2000 years, people of every walk of life
have been fired by Jesus’ calling & have joyfully responded by dedicating
their whole life to establish & continue on earth God’s Kingdom, which
over the centuries it’s been called: Church - Christianity - World Council of
Churches... & God’s Mission. Jesus asked then & asks now to ‘pray
the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest’. Jesus chose then
& continues to choose now, labourers who go into the field & share His
task of gathering people in, especially those who suffer or are excluded.
Millions even today respond to Jesus call & help the needy as volunteers, in
all sorts of ministries: today’s ideal hymn ‘God has chosen me’ & He has indeed! ‘Apostle’
means ‘one who is sent’. And ‘Missionary’ is also ‘one who is sent’. Where? Of course
we are all sent on a Special Mission to the whole wide world, especially to
anyone who is poor or marginalized or excluded or ‘unclean’, even criminals
& traitors. Over the centuries, all saints -women & men alike- have
stressed the ‘option for the poor’ & taught that no one has the right to
exclude others & claim power. Yes we are slaves of no one but God alone. But
in dealing with one another, we are humble ministers & fellow servants. And
this applies out or & in the Church, where even the Pope is ‘Servant of
the servants of God’. We cannot reduce Christianity to a philosophy of
‘do-good-ers’ without including the constant awareness that we are called by
the Lord; & any ‘pastoral work’ we do, we do it with the Lord, who is
with us always; & we do it, as a loving response to His love, which is
beyond all understanding. In this year of the Eucharist, this point is relevant
& it is constantly presented in the Document “Mane nobiscum Domine (Stay
with us Lord)’ of the late Pope John Paul II. The word ‘Eu-charis-t’
includes the concept of ‘Thank you’ to God for uniting us to Himself. Any
form of ‘Ministry’ has the privilege of living & working with the Lord,
& so is ‘eucharistic’. In our mission to create a better world, all
humanitarian work must be accompanied & motivated by the awareness that this
work is being done with & for the Lord, as if he borrows our lips - hands -
feet - heart We need a conviction whereby our good-works are planned at the
‘Altar’ & are done in a loving, devotional, affectionate, prayerful
adoration before the same Eucharistic Lord. By what ‘Ministry, has Jesus chosen you to share in his task of
gathering the lost?... ______________________________________ |
