St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest & companions, martyrs 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Hosea 11:1-4, 8c-9

I loved Israel when he was a child;

Out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I have called, the further have they gone from me – sacrificing to the Baals, burning incense to the idols.

Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms; yet, little did they realize that it was I who cared for them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with leading strings of love, and I became for them as one who eases the yoke upon their neck and stoops down to feed them.

How can I give you up, Ephraim? Can I abandon you like Admah or make you like Zeboiim? My heart is troubled within me and I am moved with compassion. I will not give vent to my great anger; I will not return to destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not human. I am Holy One in your midst; and I do not want to come to you in anger.

 

Ps 80:2ac & 3b, 15-16

let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. 

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 10:7-15

 Go and proclaim this message: The kingdom of heaven is near. Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, cleanse the lepers, and drive out demons. You received this as a gift, so give it as a gift.

Do not carry any gold, silver or copper in your purses. Do not carry a traveler’s bag, or an extra shirt, or sandals, or walking-stick: workers deserve their living.  When you come to a town or a village, look for a worthy person and stay there until you leave.

 As you enter the house, wish it peace. If the people in the house deserve it, your peace will be on them; if they do not deserve it, your blessing will come back to you.

And if you are not welcomed and your words are not listened to, leave that house or that town and shake the dust off your feet. I assure you, it will go easier for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than it will for the people of that town.

   

Gospel Reflection：]

One neglected form of evangelical work In our time is home visitation. This was how the first Christian communities flourished. Evangelical home visitation is not just seeking hospitality but letting God penetrate into homes or people’s lives.

For the hosts, you can be a disturbance because evangelical visitation is actually a home invasion. Today’s evangelizations are largely done in pulpits or in retreats of other pastoral activities where people are gathered away from their lives.

By evangelical work, I do not mean only those done by priests, lay ministers or missionaries. All Christians are asked to do evangelization. Our Gospel today speaks of evangelization as bringing God into people’s homes and lives-not just treating people as audience.

In visiting a home, you enter into someone’s well-guarded privacy. You may be welcomed or deemed a threat. Christians are called to invade homes and people aligning their lives in God’s ways.