Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.
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7-17-23 Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Matthew 10:34—11:1
Jesus said to his Apostles:
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.
I have come to bring not peace but the sword.
For I have come to set
a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's enemies will be those of his household.
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is righteous
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because he is a disciple–
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,
he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.
Reflection
Jesus is the truth. And when one is asked to accept a truth, when they are living an illusion, it is a difficult task and they often attack the truth sayer. And what Jesus is warning His disciples about is that they should expect this kind of response.
And then He goes on to say, what they really are rejecting is Him. To reject the truth of the message of Jesus is to reject His presence in your life.
Closing Prayer
Father, we are so often caught up in our own understanding of things, open our eyes to see who you really are in us so that we can respond by living in you, through you, and therefore in the truth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.