＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊   

Amos 7:12-15

 Amaziah then said to Amos,

“Off with you, seer, go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there by proph­e­sying.   But never again prophesy at Bethel for it is a king’s sanctuary and a national shrine.”  Amos replied to Ama­ziah, “I am not a prophet or one of the fellow-prophets. I am a breeder of sheep and a dresser of sycamore trees.   But Yahweh took me from shepherding the flock and said to me: Go, prophesy to my peo­ple Israel.

 

Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14(8)

Lord,let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation.

 

  ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 1:3-14

 Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, who in Christ has blessed us from heaven with every spiritual blessing.  God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and without sin in his presence.

 From eternity he destined us in love to be his adopted sons and daughters through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling his free and generous will. This goal suited him:  that his loving-kindness which he granted us in his Beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.

 For in Christ we obtain freedom, sealed by his blood, and have the forgiveness of sins. In this appears the greatness of his grace,  which he lavished on us. In all wisdom and understanding, God has made known to us his mysterious design, in accordance with his loving-kindness in Christ.

 In him and under him God wanted to unite, when the fullness of time had come, everything in heaven and on earth.  By a decree of Him who disposes all things according to his own plan and decision

we, the Jews, have been chosen and called and we were awaiting the Messiah, for the praise of his glory.

 You, on hearing the word of truth, the Gospel that saves you, have believed in him. And, as promised, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit,  the first pledge of what we shall receive, on the way to our deliverance as a people of God, for the praise of his glory.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊     

Mark 6:7-13

 He called the Twelve to him and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits.   And he ordered them to take nothing for the journey except a staff; no food, no bag, no money in their belts.   They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

 And he added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place.   If any place doesn’t receive you and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”  So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. 13 They drove out many demons and healed many sick peo­ple by anointing them.

 

 Gospel Reflection：

 Read: Jesus sent the twelve in pairs to do mission. They are not to bring any provisions. He also gave them instructions on how to behave while proclaiming the good news. They set out and their missionary effort was a success.

Reflect: Our gospel today is a template of how the early followers of the Lord did mission. They work in pairs, depending on the generosity of people and go with the barest of provisions. This is practical advice so that the focus is on the mission at hand rather than the missionary.

And to do away with hopping from one benefactor to another, they have to stay in the house that first welcomes them. This limits the possibility of competition among benefactors as to the quality of their hosting and preserves the missionaries energy and focus on the mission rather than incurring favor from the benefactor.

And lastly, they are asked to make wise use of their energy. For those who would not accept the good news, it is better to leave them and for the missionaries to move on to more receptive communities.

Respond: The mission today evolved from mere proclamation of the good news, healing of the sick and expelling of bad spirits. As a church grows over time, so too is her understanding of mission expanding. Although the proclamation of the good news remains as valid today as it was before, human promotion, the care of the environment and the pursuit of justice and peace are new areas of mission.

Perhaps we can choose what area most resonates with ourselves and find ways and means to support it.