From the responsorial psalm: “And he has made the world firm, not to be moved. Your throne stands firm from of old; from everlasting you are, O LORD. The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 10:24-33)
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Therefore do not be afraid of them. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Jesus continues to instruct the apostles he sends out on a mission to proclaim the kingdom of God. The Gospel begins today as Jesus reminds them that if the world has hated him, they can expect to be treated similarly. Do not be afraid of them, Jesus says, but proclaim the kingdom of God boldly. Yet, Jesus goes even further—beyond bodily fear—to emphasize the eternal care of the Father—his Father, the apostles’, and ours. With tender love, Jesus teaches the apostles about the intimate love of his Father, for them and their immeasurable worth: “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
God, I hardly know what to say on hearing this. Out of love, Jesus shares this message with the apostles, and by extension, with all who acknowledge him as your Son. Count me in, Lord; give me the grace to see that my true worth is not in how others regard me or in how I regard myself but in how you look at me and know me better than I know myself. Through this, especially in the challenges and trials of the day, help me give courageous witness to you and the love and mercy you extend to who call on your holy name. Protect me, Father; guide me today!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.