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
Samaritantown. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go, and proclaim this message:
The kingdom of heavenis near.
Reflection:
It is time we rediscovered the relevance of Maria Goretti. Ayoung girl, with a heart set on God. “A spreading vine,
rich infruit,” as Hosea observes about Israel in today’s first reading. But unlike Israel, she did not build many altars to
adorn with sacred stones for many gods. She had only one altar; there was spacefor only one God. Her body was the
temple of the Spirit; and shewould not let anyone desecrate it. Even if she had to pay withher life.
The gospel invites us tomediate on our call. The subject and the object of our call is God; no one else. This singular
love of our heart is what chastity is all about: The call to subordinate and consecrate all our earthly loves to that primary
love— of God. May Saint Maria Goretti inspire our young men and women.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2022
July 06, 2022
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.
Published in
Daily Gospel