Reading 1
Is 6:1-8
In the year King Uzziah died,
I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne,
with the train of his garment filling the temple.
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings:
with two they veiled their faces,
with two they veiled their feet,
and with two they hovered aloft.
They cried one to the other,
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts!
All the earth is filled with his glory!"
At the sound of that cry, the frame of the door shook
and the house was filled with smoke.
Then I said, "Woe is me, I am doomed!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
living among a people of unclean lips;
yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
holding an ember that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
He touched my mouth with it and said,
"See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged."
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?"
"Here I am," I said; "send me!"
Gospel
Mt 10:24-33
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"No disciple is above his teacher,
no slave above his master.
It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher,
for the slave that he become like his master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more those of his household!
"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.
Everyone who acknowledges me before others
I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.
But whoever denies me before others,
I will deny before my heavenly Father."
Meditation: Matthew 10:24-33
Do not be afraid. (Matthew 10:31)
It’s natural to be afraid of the unknown, and for many of us evangelizing is a great, vast unknown. So many what-ifs come up in our minds that we just want to run away and hide. But as we work on developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit, we find that fear gradually fades away and is replaced by a calm confidence.
Getting to know the Spirit is vital to evangelization. Why? Because only the Spirit can put us in touch with the love that casts out fear and lightens burdens. And whenever this happens, we are freed up to care for the people around us. We begin to trust that God won’t give us anything we can’t handle and that he won’t give us opportunities to witness that are beyond our ability. And even if we do face situations in which we are challenged beyond what we think we can do, the Spirit will comfort and strengthen us with the promise that with God all things are possible. So even if we misspeak or misstep, God is there to correct us gently and to comfort us, teach us, and even bless our misguided efforts.
So how can we allow the Spirit to make us into more effective evangelists? Practice, practice, practice. Start slowly, but be willing to take a few risks when you think you feel the Spirit nudging your conscience. Try introducing yourself to someone after Mass and saying something positive. Just one small step of faith can do wonders in helping overcome an initial awkwardness. Then your friendliness can set the stage for a more personal sharing of your faith.
Remain as simple and personal with people as you know God is with you. You don’t have to get into doctrinal debates or controversies. All you have to do is share from your heart, confident that the One who has counted every hair on your head is standing next to you. Remember: Evangelism is all about introducing people to a person—Jesus. And that’s something the Holy Spirit is an expert at. So invite him in, and watch as your fears dissipate, and the gospel shines from your heart.
“Jesus, give me the courage I need to share your good news with the people around me. Holy Spirit, come teach me, and encourage me to be your ambassador!”
No comments:
Post a Comment