Jesus sent these twelve on mission with the instruction: Go instead to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.

Gave them authority over the unclean spirits to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.

The kingdom of David was split in two after Solomon took over.

In the south is the kingdom of Judah whose capital is Jerusalem.

The Northern Kingdom of Israel was composed of ten tribes and had their Capital later on in Samaria.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12

Israel was a spreading vine,

Rich in fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built; the more his land prospered, the more he adorned his sacred stones.

Their heart is divided! They shall pay for it. Their altars will be thrown down and their sacred stones broken to pieces.

 

Now they say, "We have no king (because we have no fear of God) and what good would a king do us?"

As for the king of Samaria, he has been carried off like foam on water.

 

The idolatrous high places – the sin of Israel – will be destroyed. Thorn and thistle will creep over the altars. Then they will say to the mountains: "Cover us," and to the hills: "Fall on us."

Plow new ground, sow for yourselves justice and reap the harvest of kindness. It is the time to go seeking Yahweh, until he comes to rain salvation on you.

 

Ps 105:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Seek always the face of the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 10:1-7

Jesus called his Twelve disciples to him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and sickness. 

These are the names of the Twelve apostles; first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray him.

 

Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instructions: "Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.

Go, and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"We are never sent alone."

The Lord calls us, and he calls us by name (cf. Isa. 43:1). He calls us while respecting our identity as human persons. In fact, he builds on whatever we already have as individuals gifted by God. In the Gospel for today, Jesus called the Twelve Apostles (cf. Mk. 3:13-19; Lk. 6:12-16). The word apostle (cf. apostolos) means "the one who is sent."

 

Jesus called the Twelve to be with him while he was accomplishing his earthly mission. Jesus does not only call us for nothing. He calls us for a particular mission. We may reflect on the fact that Jesus called twelve of them. We are not called alone. We are called to be together in doing the mission which Jesus had inaugurated. Let us also bear in mind that we are never sent alone. As followers of Jesus, we must always strive to work together to become a community-in-mission.

 

Jesus called the Twelve not because they were all of the same personalities. They were from different walks of life, with different orientations and different temperaments –  yet they rallied behind Jesus.