In today’s Gospel (Matthew 10:1–7), Jesus summons His Twelve Apostles, gives them authority to heal and drive out unclean spirits, and sends them out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The Twelve are called by Jesus to cooperate with Him in establishing the Kingdom of God, just as all Christians and the Church have been called to propagate the fullness of God’s life and His undying love in our world. This is a mission of life and salvation.
Propagating the Reign of God’s Love on Earth
God has offered us His reign, which is life in abundance for the whole of humanity. Nevertheless, the dominion of darkness, of sin, of greed, of selfishness, and of the lack of peace and joy obstructs the realization of this reign of God. The apostles, and all those whom Jesus called into ministry, have the task of expelling the dominion of darkness and establishing the kingdom of life, so that the reign of God’s abundant goodness may triumph in the world.
It is in this spirit of establishing the fullness of life in the world that the Church understands itself as the sacrament of salvation (Lumen Gentium, 8). The Church, in essence, has been called by Christ to carry on the work of salvation in the world. The love of God urges the Church and all its members to fulfill this duty: to always bear the light of life. The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, proclaims this call vividly. The “Church is in Christ as a sacrament, or instrumental sign, of intimate union with God and of the unity of all humanity” (1). The document further reveals this purpose of the Church’s duty and mission. The Church is called in the Holy Spirit “to enlighten all people with the brightness which gleams over the face of the Church, by preaching the gospel to every creature” (1).
A Call to Continuous Conversion
From the history of salvation that began with the people of Israel, God has always sanctified people and chosen them for the glory of His reign. He has always led His people like a shepherd, so as to bring them to the fullness of His life. In creation, He made all things for His glory and for the realization of the fullness of His divine life on earth. Nevertheless, the people whom God has chosen for His work have not always been faithful. Today’s first reading opens up this aspect of human unfaithfulness to the divine plan of salvation. The Prophet Hosea (10:1–3, 7–8, 12) laments Israel as an unfaithful vine, followed by a call to seek justice and sow righteousness.
The words of Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily of 15 June 2008, offer us a perspective on the continuous call to conversion, humility, and steadfastness. He notes: “the great tree of true life grows even in the humility of being Church, of living the Gospel every day. Precisely with these humble beginnings, the Lord encourages us so that, in the humility of the Church today too, in the poverty of our Christian lives, we may see His presence.” It is in this humility that our faith takes root, and that we find the courage to make God’s love, peace, and true life present on our earth.
In this regard, the Pope reminds us to always reflect that “the Twelve Apostles were not perfect men, chosen for their moral and religious irreproachability.” Rather, they were indeed believers full of “enthusiasm and zeal, but at the same time marked by their human limitations, which were sometimes even serious.” The good news is the call we have received. The Pope reminds us that the disciples were not called “because they were already holy, complete, perfect, but so that they might become so, so that they might thereby also transform history.” This is the message of the gospel for us: that we embrace our call to proclaim God’s kingdom of love, justice, and peace.
