“Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”
What Jesus says in the Gospel reading, the first reading from Hosea expresses tenderly and lyrically: “I fostered them like one who raises an infant to his cheeks; Yet, though I stooped to feed my child, they did not know that I was their healer.” By bringing the kingdom of heaven to others, Jesus and his disciples bring God the Father to those who hear his voice. As Father Burke Masters says in his reflection on today’s reading, “Jesus in his person is where heaven and earth meet.”
God, help me understand that when God addresses his apostles, he is also addressing me. It is overwhelming to think that the mission he sends his disciples on is to “Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.” Although I will probably never encounter a leper, I know what it means to see someone who is physically or mentally sick or even spiritually dead, possessed not by a demon but by seeking honor, power, pleasure, or wealth. This is where the kingdom of heaven is needed and where peace comes to others without cost.
It is sometimes so hard to find a few “stolen” moments to sit quietly in the morning with God. I know that God wants me to spend time with him, and so today I offer my works, joys, and sufferings as a way to pray constantly. God, help me bring this desire to its most complete fulfillment through your grace.
Today I want to see the merciful Father in Hosea who says, “For I am God and not man, the Holy One present among you; I will not let the flames consume you.” Although I don’t deserve God’s mercy, I want to recognize it and receive it to the best of my ability.