CHRISTIAN VOCATION AND MISSION IS A GRACE
The Christian vocation and mission is a life of grace in Christ Jesus and not something we merit. It is God’s work and we are only collaborators in its realization through his grace acting in us. God is the one who initiates, designs, invites and executes the mission through us. That is why it is called “Missio Dei”.
However, our Christian calling is complex and not easy at all. That is living the Christian vocation and realizing our God-given mission is a seemingly impossible task humanly. It is absolutely necessary to live and implore God’s grace and help.
First to increase missionaries and collaborators in his vineyard: the world and the Church. Secondly, to select men and women dispose to do his Holy Will in the carrying out of their mission. Thirdly, selfless individuals will put the mission and Christian life above everything else, especially selfish interests.
OUR THEMES
The readings this Sunday remind us of some important themes of our Christian life namely: vocations, missions, reconciliations, and trust in God who calls us to be his instruments of love, peace, mercy and grace in the world.
In a nutshell, the readings emphasize the three-mission ministry of Christ: preaching, teaching and healing.
FIRST READING: EXODUS 19:2-6
The first reading gives Israel the good news that the God of Mount Sinai loves and cares for his people. God showed His continuing care for Israel by liberating the people from slavery in Egypt and by offering them a relationship in which they would be God’s “special possession,”– “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”
God of mercy does not only intervene in our miserable conditions of life but shows his mighty power to deliver us from bondage. God bore the people up on eagles’ wings, crossing the Sinai desert to the Promised Lord.
SECOND READING: ROMANS 5:6-11
God’s salvation is an act of mercy and grace. The most beautiful phrase is of the Christian life by St. Paul is: “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”
In other words, we are restored to grace through the death of Christ even as sinners. Thus God will not refuse us absolutely anything that will grant us salvation.
Paul, in today’s second reading, reflects on how Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection made manifest God’s love and care for mankind. According to Paul, the greatest proof of God’s love and care for us is Jesus’ willingness to die on behalf of sinful mankind and so make possible a new and better relationship with God.
THE GOSPEL MATTHEW 9:36-10:8
There is a huge necessity for missions in the world. God called, he calls and he will continue to call and invite us to his vineyard. Yet, there are fewer responses for us to the invitation of God. The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few willing to be committed.
Jesus calls us to pray for common labourers in his Church. While God can use talented people, most kingdom work is done by ordinary, nearly anonymous, behind-the-scenes disciples.
It is important to take the cue from the gospel that while we do and promote all our vocational drives events we do not forget to pray more for God to raise true and authentic vocations among us.
THE SELECTION OF THE MESSENGERS AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Jesus prayed before he chose the twelve apostles from among his disciples asking his heavenly Father, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Is 6:8). Then Jesus chose them, called them apostles, appointed them to be with him and sent them to villages and towns before he visited them as heralds to prepare them to receive his “good news.”
1. They were given the authority to love which included involvement in liberating people from the powers which oppressed them, whether physical or spiritual.
2. The first instruction was: “Do not go out on the road to the Gentiles, and do not enter into any city of the Samaritans.” This meant that they could not go north into Syria, east into the largely gentile Decapolis, or south into Samaria. God wanted His Chosen people to hear the Gospel first. Besides, the apostles were not well-trained for preaching to the Gentiles.
3. Thirdly, as a wise commander Jesus limited his objectives and refused to diffuse and dissipate his forces.
LIFE MESSAGES FROM THE READINGS OF TODAY
(1) Be Jesus-Presenters: — Christ Jesus and his “Good News,” not in costume but in living out the Faith God has given us. If we accept this invitation and act on it, with God’s grace people will look at us and say, “Jesus”
(2) Be healers in the modern world: People can be sick in the body as well as in the mind. As Christians sharing Jesus’ mission, we can bring healing and wholeness to people with whom we come into contact.
(3) “You received without payment; give without payment.” Everything we have is a gift of God. God’s gifts to us are literally priceless, and the rest of these is Faith. All these gifts are meant to be used freely and liberally for the benefit of all
(4) Pray for priests who carry God’s people on “eagle’s wings.’ Priests are with us at all the most important moments in our lives — Baptism, marriage, forgiveness of sins, celebration of the Eucharist, sickness, or death. We need to pray also for future priests as instructed by Jesus in today’s Gospel by praying for an increase in the quality and quantity of those responding to the Holy Spirit’s vocational call to priesthood and religious life.
IMPLICATIONS OF OUR SCRIPTURAL TEXTS
1. Our Christian vocation is a special call of God to be a priestly people and consecrated nation.
2. This special privileged is well-guarded and protected by the eagle wings of God.
3. Therefore, we will always be God’s people: the sheep of his cherished flock.
4. God does not call us as redeemed people but redeems and sanctifies us to be his instruments of redemption.
5. The greatest proof of God’s love is that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
6. Our reconciliation to God implies trust and a mission to reconcile the world to God and each other.
7. There is a strong need for compassionate and empathetic pastors, priests and Christians in a world of many miseries, sorrows and sufferings.
8. Our vocational calling and mission is the Work of God, this should be consciously present in our minds always.
9. For a more authentic and true vocation in the church’s life, we must be passionately prayerful.
10. Our Christian vocation is not an accident, indeed God calls each of us by name.
11. We must respect and be faithful to the instructions of God for the realization and fulfilment of our vocation and mission.
12. Our mission is healing and liberation of the sick and the oppressed by evil forces.
13. Finally, it is a selfless, generous and free service and not profit-oriented: You received without payment; give without payment. ”
Our central point today is that Jesus calls us to pray for common labourers in his Church. While God can use talented people, most kingdom work is done by ordinary, nearly anonymous, behind-the-scenes disciples.
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you invited us to be collaborators in your kingdom project of love, peace, healing, restoration and liberation to be extended throughout the whole world. Help us to selfless give what we have freely received from you and we pray vehemently today for you to raise up men and women with an authentic interest in participating in your three-fold ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. Amen
