Sunday Gospel Reflection
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mark 6:7-13
The Mission of the Twelve
Josie Gonzalez
He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits…”Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick”…they preached that people should turn away from their sins. They drove away many demons and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them. (Mark 6:7-8, 12-13)
I remember distinctly this homily from the TV mass that I regularly attend: “nobody goes to heaven alone.” Tulong-tulong tayo para makarating sa langit. At ang puno’t dulo nito ay ang pagpapasakatuparan ng misyon ng Panginoon hindi bukas o sa isang taon, hindi mamaya, hindi “wait lang” pero “now na”. Because how much time we have between now and until we die, ONLY GOD KNOWS.
Today’s Gospel talks about the Lord’s mission and our mission from God. In verse 8, Jesus tells his disciples as they followed Him, “don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick.”
Ang pagsunod sa Panginoon ay hindi biro. He told his disciples to leave everything behind because to follow Christ means to “empty” ourselves. It requires focus and our total commitment—body, soul, and spirit.
What is our mission? Simply put, it is sharing in the mission of Christ. And how does this happen? Ano ba ang “good news” ng buhay natin? Tayo ba ay mapagpatawad sa nagkakasala sa atin—tulad ng kapatawaran na itinuro ng Diyos? Tayo ba ay nagpapasalamat sa mga biyaya sa buhay natin—tulad ng gratitude na ipinamalas ni Hesus para sa Diyos Ama?
Tayo ba ay mahabagin at maawain—mercy and compassion for the needy and less fortunate which are divine virtues of Christ Jesus? Are we inspired enough to “give ‘til it hurts” the way Jesus expressed His generosity to the multitude of faithful, through the miracle of the multiplication of bread?
Let us look at things and people through God’s eyes. His Kingdom begins with us. Let us believe that blessed are the pure of heart for they shall “see” God. His Word constantly reminds us “to delight in the Lord for He will give us the desires of our heart.” The Bible is full of stories telling us to pray and pray unceasingly, to be grateful, and to have mercy and compassion. It is a great reminder that the truth about life and love is God the Almighty.
So, how are we living our present life?
Let us ask Him for the grace of peace and joy that we may share them with others. Let us ask the Lord to teach us to forget ourselves so we may think of our neighbors and their needs.
Have we ever wondered that whatever love we have for others is an effect of God’s love for us?
Yes, God is perfect Love! He will give us what is best for us, not what we want.
Madalas, nasusubok ang ating pagsunod sa Diyos because of greed for money and power. Sabi ng Panginoon, strip yourself of everything and follow me.
There is this story about a rich man who asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” After telling Jesus he faithfully obeyed all the commandments of God, Jesus said, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” The rich man went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.
This Sunday’s Gospel tells us our mission is to follow Christ with total surrender, trust, and faith. Mission is always personal and grounded on Jesus Christ. Let us listen to Him and leave our comfort zone. He is with us 24/7 even as we battle our fears and doubts.
Tulong-tulong tayo para makamit ang buhay na walang hanggan. Ang Panginoon ang ating gabay habang tinatahak natin ang daan ng ating misyon.
A blessed Sunday!
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Image by Paula Nash Giltner,
Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing
