＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Ezra 9:5-9

 I remained seated and dismayed

Until the evening sacrifice; and then, at the time for the evening offering, I rose from my fasting, and with my clothes and mantle torn, I knelt down, spreading out my hands to Yahweh, my God.

 I said, “My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God, I do not dare raise my eyes to you for our sins have increased over our heads and our crimes reach up to the heavens.

 From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day.

  However, for a brief moment, the mercy of Yahweh, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive, and allowed the survivor to settle once again in his Holy Place; he has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage.

 We are no more than slaves, but in the midst of our slavery, God has not abandoned us, he has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our life, enabled us to rebuild the House of our God, and to have walls in Jerusalem and in the other cities of Judah.

 

Tb 13:2, 3-4a, 4befghn, 7-8

Blessed be God, who lives forever.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊   

Luke 9:1-6

 Then Jesus called his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases.  And he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  

 He instructed them, “Don’t take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and don’t even take a spare tunic.   Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place.  

 And wherever they don’t welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet: it will be as a testimony against them.”  So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing peo­ple everywhere.

  

Gospel Reflection：

Today’s gospel has the disciples taking the center stage. They are being sent in pairs to do mission. They are now active partners of the Lord in spreading the Good News.

There are instructions on how they should comport themselves while on mission. Perhaps they are as timely today as in the time of Jesus. The instructions are valid today as before.

What is striking is the advice of Jesus to economize their energy and spend it on those who are open to the message. He tells them to shake the dust from their feet and move on to friendlier territories.

Perhaps because as novices to mission, they need to take what they can for the moment. When they grow strong in their love and passion for God’s kingdom. They can spend themselves to exhaustion without regret.