Wednesday, July 08, 2020 - 14th week of Ordinary Time - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10, 1-7 - The reign of God is at hand. Convert and believe in the Gospel.

Christian brothers and sisters! Yesterday's teaching of Jesus continues in chapter 10. If He prayed for more reapers for the harvest, here He sends on mission, beginning with the twelve apostles who were very close to Him, but we, the baptized, are also sent. To send someone on a mission is to trust Him, these apostles, very close to Jesus, are trained and prepared for this mission.

Matthew, in this chapter, does not proceed like the other evangelists who tell us the origin of the call of each disciple but that He called the 12 at the same time and sent them. They are the 12 pillars of the Church and their name as Apostle defines their mission. This is the nature of the Church: sent or missionary, to proclaim salvation to all men according to the Second Vatican Council in the Decree on the Missionary Activity of the Church (n. 2). At present, the Pope and the Bishops are the successors of the Apostles; they are also the visible signs that the Church is alive and that she continues her mission. Therefore, we will continue to pray for them in the face of the serious trials which the Church is undergoing and which endanger her mission.

Although there are 12 of them, there are some who are better known, such as Peter, who was chosen and put at their head and is often heard, but there are those who are less well known, such as Thadea. This has been a reality in the Church to this day. Just yesterday we spoke here about the fact that although there are many Christians, there are zealous but also less convinced practitioners. But they are sent, and we are also sent to cast out unclean spirits and to heal the sick, etc. Judas was also among the envoys, but instead of driving out the unclean spirits, he was tempted. Let us beware that, even though we are missionaries, the words of Christ are always true: you are in this world but not of this world. So let us fulfill our mission with justice, with fairness. Let us dare to go always further and not be content with closeness. Pope Francis exhorts us to be "the Church on the way out", and we will be sowers of peace and hope for all peoples.