Be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehena.
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: Matthew 10:26-33
Jesus said to the Twelve:
"Fear no one.
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."
Reflection
Last week, we listened to the gospel when Jesus sent his disciples to preach the good news. Jesus chose those he wanted though they were not perfect, and he called them by name.
Fear is very natural feeling in human beings, especially whenever we think of death. Sometimes we even do our best to avoid saying the truth by fear of death. In today's first reading, Jeremiah narrates his experience of being threatened by his enemies, not because he was a bad person, but because he was proclaiming the truth. As you know, some people do not like to hear the truth. So, they do not accept God's message of truth. For this, the prophets and Jesus, the Son of God suffered, too, for proclaiming the truth. What is important here is that even though they experience fear, they trust God. They know that God is at their side. In today’s gospel, Jesus tells us not to fear anyone; the good news needs to be preached; we do not need to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Let us be promoters of truth in the places where we live, let us be promoters of truth even with ourselves. The Emanuel, God with us, will offer us peace to fear no more.
In the Gospel, we read the invitation not to be afraid of those who kill the body but to “be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehena.” This is a very meaningful sentence. People can kill the body which is just human flesh. Life will not end in this world. After all, what is more important, it is the fear of the Lord. As we serve the Lord with our whole heart, he is always with us; there is nothing to fear, but we need to be aware of the presence of God who is always at our sides to protect us against any danger.
We can ask ourselves what are the things with which we are offending God the most and that we need to stop so that we can get closer to God. We need to act in the best way we can, not fearing to be punished, but in the way of getting closer to God.
Reflection Questions
1.- What fears keep me from speaking, living, or witnessing to the truth of the Gospel, and how can I grow in trust that God is always with me?
2.- What attitudes, habits, or actions in my life distance me from God, and what concrete steps can I take to draw closer to Him each day?
