WORD 2day - Wednedsay, 14th week in Ordinary time
July 12, 2023: Genesis 41: 55-57, 42:5-7, 17-24; Matthew 10:1-7
Joseph of the Old Testament, was an apostle too - sent ahead by God to Egypt in order to provide for God's people at a later time! Providing was yet another important mission of God. So, providing for God's people, liberating them from the ungodly forces and giving them a life in all its fullness - those are the duties of an apostle, on behalf of the Lord who sends him or her. And all these carried out for one purpose to make present the Reign of God amidst the people here and now!
Jesus had a big following - his disciples; and from them he sends these 'Apostles.' We are among his disciples already by our Baptism and he wants to send each of us with a specific mission. And each of us sent, exactly to where we are - to our homes, to our neighbourhoods, to our parishes, to our societies... to establish the Reign of God, that is, to assure the needs of all, to stand by the neglected and guarantee them their rights, to stand against the ungodly forces, the unjust systems, the corrupt and inhuman dominations, to empower the people towards a peaceful, serene and human existence.
When Pope Francis calls the Church to "take to the streets of the world" and to "reach the very outskirts of existence", in short to be "the Church that goes forth", he is reminding us our call as 'apostles', and our mission as heralds of the Reign of God.
Have we made real efforts to understand our call and our mission as apostles, right here and right now?