July 15, 2017

Gospel: Mt 10:24-33
A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. A student should be content to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more, those of his household! So, do not be afraid of them!
There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered. There is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. For a few cents you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows!
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever rejects me before others, I will reject before my Father in heaven.

REFLECTION:
“Do not be afraid…!“ All of us have our own fears. These can be real or “manufactured“ by social forces like the various means of social communication. We are afraid of rejection, failure, old age, persecution, sickness and death. The Lord reminds us in today’s Gospel not to allow fear to cripple us, hence preventing us from continuing the mission entrusted to us. It is possible that, out of fear, we are tempted to water down God’s message or give up proclaiming it altogether. Giving in to fear is the result of a weakened faith. Jesus’ example is instructive. He spoke out fearlessly against evil. Nothing intimidated him. Even his enemies admired his courage. He had full trust and confidence in the Father.
The Lord assures us that if we place our trust in God’s power and providence, there is no reason for us to be anxious or scared of anything or anyone. When we commit ourselves to doing God’s work, we are assured that He will never abandon us. We are “worth more than many sparrows.“ He cares about us in a way we may never be able to fully understand. We can draw inspiration from St. Alphonsus Liguori who once said: “When did it ever happen that a man had confidence in God and was lost?“