Matthew 10: 37-42
“Don’t think I’ve come to make life cosy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cosy domestic arrangements and free you for God. Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies. If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me. If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.
“If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.
“We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God’s messenger. Accepting someone’s help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I’ve called you into, but don’t be overwhelmed by it. It’s best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won’t lose out on a thing.”
Reflection
We are all Children to our Parents, as they are of theirs. However we are all Children of God the Father.
We are reminded and encouraged, here, to follow him. We are invited to accept God’s word from others as much as we should spread God’s word around.
With all that’s going on in the news and media, it’s difficult to see God’s message and even more difficult to share it. But there are still a ways of passing on the word of God.
Kindness is an infectious action that we can all do and pass on to each other. Whether it’s making someone a cup of coffee for a colleague in the morning, or giving a lift to a friend, there is always something selfless that we can do to spread happiness and in turn, God’s word.
During this week, maybe challenge yourself each day, to do something nice for someone, who you might not necessarily help. Maybe buy a drink or some food for someone who is on the streets or take some time to talk to someone at work that you may not have spoken to before. No matter what you do, you’ll be spreading the message of God.
Jonny Dearden
Salesian Youth Ministry Volunteer
Prayer
Lord,
In a world that seems to be full of trouble, help us to see you clearly.
Help us to block out all of the noise and to focus on you, so that we may follow you in your message.
Help us to be kinder to one another and believe that we can create peace with each other.
Amen