“Engaging in works with a sense of Divine Love and Charity in order to build beautiful lives!”

(Based on Gen 44:18-45:5 and Mt 10:7-15 – Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time)

A young girl watched her mother washing dishes.

Thinking of how many times she did them, along with all the other housework…
… she said, “Mother, don’t you ever get tired of washing dishes?”

The mother looking at the child with a contagious smile, replied, “Child, I’m not doing dishes…
… I’m building a home!”

When one is completely engaged in one’s works with a sense of Divine Love and Charity…
… one is engaged in mission work and building beautiful lives!

It is to such a life of “mission work at all times” that the Gospel of the Day invites all of us to.

After having summoned, authorized and named His Twelve Apostles, Jesus sends them ahead of Him, to the places of mission.

The Gospel of the day begins with the phrase, “Preach, as you go…” (Mt 10:7)

Some other translations would read as “As you go, make a proclamation…”

This is such wonderfully practical, and yet at the same time, a phrase that is often overlooked: “Preach, as you go….” / “As you go… make a proclamation”

Preaching or Proclamation in our times, is often pictured with a limited understanding…

Preaching or proclamation that takes place…
… only from the pulpit or during a service in Church
… only in the form of speaking and explaining the Word of God

But the words of the Lord are worth noting:
“Preach, as you go….” / “As you go… make a proclamation”

Preach, as you go about doing your daily duties and activities

As you go about your responsibilities and works, make a proclamation

Preach as you go around meeting different people by sharing His love and joy to all

As you go about engaging in numerous actions, make a proclamation by sharing His presence

The act of preaching and proclamation of the Kingdom of God is to be reflected in our every action and movement…
• Whatever we do, may it become an act of proclaiming God’s abundant blessings!
• Whatever work we take up, may it become a moment of preaching God’s amazing providence!

Such preaching and proclamation makes it mandatory that one grows “deeper in dependence” on Jesus – in our life as a missionary of the Kingdom of God.

The act of proclamation needs the “awareness”…
… that I am continuing the Great Mission work that has Jesus as the “Initiator”, the “Sustainer” and the “Finale!”

To be a missionary, one needs to realise that the Lord alone can provide all the graces, strength and courage for the mission!

It is when we totally depend on the Lord, that we are able to boldly face…
… hardships and difficulties in being a missionary of the Kingdom, in hostile situations
… problems and challenges as we seek to live a true Christian life in the modern world
… meaninglessness or emptiness as we go through the ‘deserts’ and ‘darkness’ in life

Through the story of Joseph and his brothers in the book of Genesis, we are taught the beautiful lesson that God is in total control of our life…
… and like Joseph who acknowledged: “God sent me before you to preserve life.” (Gen 45:4)

We need to depend totally depend on the Providence of the Lord

God invites all of us to engage in mission work and to build beautiful lives

Let’s therefore completely engage in all our works with a sense of Divine Love and Charity…
… and thus do “mission work at all times!”

God Bless! Live Jesus!

---

Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism:
THE SIGNS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Jesus accompanies His words with many “mighty works and wonders and signs”, which manifest that the kingdom is present in Him and attest that He was the promised Messiah.
The signs worked by Jesus attest that the Father has sent Him. They invite belief in Him.
To those who turn to Him in faith, He grants what they ask. So miracles strengthen faith in the One Who does His Father’s works; they bear witness that He is the Son of God.
But his miracles can also be occasions for “offence”; they are not intended to satisfy people’s curiosity or desire for magic. Despite his evident miracles some people reject Jesus; he is even accused of acting by the power of demons.
By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness and death, Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless he did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God’s sons and causes all forms of human bondage.
The coming of God’s kingdom means the defeat of Satan’s: “If it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
Jesus’ exorcisms free some individuals from the domination of demons.
They anticipate Jesus’ great victory over “the ruler of this world”.

The kingdom of God will be definitively established through Christ’s cross: “God reigned from the wood.” (Cf. CCC # 547-550)