Daily Retreat 07/10/08

Hos 11: 1-4. 8c-9/ Ps 79(80): 2ac and 3b. 15-16/ Mt 10: 7-15 From today's readings:  "Yet, though I stooped to feed My child, they did not know that I was their healer....  O LORD of hosts, look down from Heaven, and see....   Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give!" Missionary Theme Chapter Ten of Matthew's Gospel begins with the naming of the Twelve Apostles, those whom Jesus sent forth with the mission of proclaiming His Gospel.  In fact, the word "apostle" is derived from the Greek verb "to send," and also the word "mission" is the Latin derivative, again from the verb "to send." So, in this and all of their other missionary work, the Apostles were agents of Christ, doing things the way He wanted them done.  If they had insisted on doing things their own way, they would have shaped a much different church, one of merely human origin.  But because they were given and followed the Lord's specific directions, the Church will forever glory in the four divine trademarks:  One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. Jesus specified that the heart of His missionaries proclamation should be, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!"    This was, in fact, the theme of His own preaching (cf. Matthew 4:17).  Without doubt, there is much entailed in faithfully preaching and living the full Gospel, but every evangelistic effort must be centered on the practical consequences of that cardinal Christian insight: The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!