July 6 Monday: St. Maria Goretti, Virgin, Martyr. Mt 9:18-26
Two Miracles of Faith
Today’s Gospel recounts two remarkable miracles, the healing of a woman suffering from a hemorrhage and the raising of a synagogue ruler’s daughter. Jesus performed both miracles in response to the sincere faith of those who sought his help. Although their faith was imperfect, it was genuine and trusting, and Jesus rewarded it with healing and restored life.
The Synagogue Ruler and the Woman
The synagogue ruler, despite belonging to the Jewish religious establishment, humbly turned to Jesus when all human help had failed. Even after hearing that his daughter had died, he remained with Jesus in faith. Likewise, the woman with the hemorrhage courageously ignored religious and social restrictions to touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment, believing she would be healed. Through their faith, both the woman and the young girl were restored, one to health and the other to life, and both were welcomed back into their community.
3. Life Message
Jesus welcomes us with all our weaknesses and imperfect faith. We should never hesitate to bring our physical, emotional, or spiritual struggles to him, trusting in his healing mercy. We also share in Christ’s healing mission by caring for the sick, praying for them, encouraging them with our presence and words, and becoming instruments of God’s compassion and hope. God bless you.
July 7, Tuesday: Mt 9:32-38
Today’s Gospel describes the healing of a deaf and mute man by an exorcism which Jesus performed during one preaching and healing journey. It also mentions the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus used the power of Beelzebub to heal the man, and then describes Jesus’ sympathy for the whole of the leaderless people.
Jesus had a double mission, to preach the Good News of God’s love and salvation to the “lost sheep” of the House of Israel, and to liberate people from the power of sin, illnesses, and evil spirits. The first part of today’s Gospel describes the misinterpretation of Jesus’ liberating mission by the Pharisees when Jesus healed a deaf and mute man by exorcism. In the second part, Jesus expresses true compassion for the shepherdless sheep of Israel because their shepherds were more interested in the external observance of the Law and its sacrifices than in giving people God’s word and promoting by example and word, the practice of love, mercy, and justice. That is why Jesus reminds the listeners to pray for genuine shepherds to feed them and lead them.
Life message1) We need to share Christ’s preaching and liberating mission. Let us remember te words of St. Teresa of Avila: “Now Jesus has no other mouths, eyes, ears, hands and feet than ours.” Jesus places a preaching and healing mission in our care and helps us to continue it. The most effective way of preaching Christ is by leading a transparent Christian life, radiating Jesus’ love, mercy, and forgiveness. But we cannot liberate others as long as we are in chains. Hence, let us first receive Jesus’ liberation of us from the chains which bind us. God bless you.
July 8, Wednesday: Mt 10:1-7
Today’s Gospel recounts the calling and first mission of the Twelve Apostles. It marks a decisive moment in the public ministry of Jesus. Having proclaimed the Kingdom of God and demonstrated its power through His teaching, miracles, and compassion, Jesus now shares His mission with ordinary men whom He has chosen to become His closest collaborators. They are sent as His representatives to announce that God’s long-awaited promises are being fulfilled. This passage reminds us that the mission of the Church begins not with extraordinary people, but with ordinary believers transformed by God’s grace.
The first missionary was God Himself. Out of His infinite love for the world, God the Father sent His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into human history. As Jesus Himself declared, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (John 3:16). The Incarnation is the beginning of the greatest missionary movement in history. Jesus came to reveal the Father’s boundless mercy, to call sinners to repentance, to heal the brokenhearted, and to save humanity through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. The apostles were therefore not beginning a new mission of their own; they were continuing the mission of Christ, who had first been sent by the Father (John 20:21).
Before choosing the Twelve, Jesus spent the whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12-13). His choice was neither accidental nor based on human standards. He selected men who appeared unremarkable in the eyes of the world. Most were fishermen, accustomed to hard work, perseverance, patience, and teamwork. Matthew had been a tax collector, despised by many of his fellow Jews for collaborating with the Roman authorities. Simon the Zealot belonged to a movement that passionately opposed Roman occupation and longed for political liberation. Humanly speaking, Matthew and Simon represented opposite ends of the political spectrum, yet Jesus united them in a common mission. Their unity did not arise from similar personalities or backgrounds but from their common love for Christ. The Gospel demonstrates that the Church is built not on human compatibility but on communion with Jesus.
Jesus did not merely appoint the apostles; He empowered them. He entrusted them with authority over unclean spirits and the power to heal the sick. These signs confirmed that the Kingdom of God was breaking into human history. Their mission was to proclaim, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:7). The miracles they performed were not ends in themselves but visible signs that God’s reign was already present in the person of Jesus. Their preaching and works of mercy went hand in hand, revealing both the truth and the compassion of God.
The choice of such ordinary men reveals an important spiritual principle. God delights in working through human weakness so that His power may be clearly seen. As Saint Paul the Apostle would later write, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may belong to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The effectiveness of the apostles did not come from their education, wealth, eloquence, or influence, but from their complete dependence on Christ and the transforming action of the Holy Spirit.
The Church continues this missionary mandate today. Through Baptism, every Christian shares in Christ’s prophetic mission. The Second Vatican Council teaches that every baptized person is called to participate in the Church’s mission of evangelization. The decree Apostolicam Actuositatem reminds us that the apostolate belongs not only to bishops, priests, and religious, but also to the laity, who are called to bear witness to Christ in their families, workplaces, schools, and communities.
Life Messages
- Recognize your missionary vocation. Every Christian is sent by Christ. Whether we are parents, teachers, students, workers, priests, or religious, we are called to make Christ known through our words, actions, and example. The first sermon people often hear is not from a pulpit but from the witness of a holy life.
- Trust that God can use ordinary people. We sometimes feel inadequate because of our weaknesses or limitations. The apostles remind us that God does not call only the qualified; He qualifies those whom He calls. If we remain faithful and available, He can accomplish extraordinary things through us.
- Seek unity in Christ despite differences. Just as Matthew and Simon learned to serve together despite their opposing backgrounds, Christians today are called to place Christ above politics, culture, ethnicity, and personal preferences. Our unity is rooted in our common discipleship.
- Support the Church’s missionary work. We participate in Christ’s mission by praying for missionaries, encouraging vocations, contributing generously to missionary efforts, and sharing the Gospel wherever God has placed us. As Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Patroness of the Missions, demonstrated, one can be a powerful missionary through prayer and sacrificial love.
- Remain close to Christ through prayer. Jesus prayed before choosing and sending the apostles. Likewise, every fruitful mission begins in prayer. Before speaking about Christ, we must first spend time with Him in Scripture, the Holy Eucharist, and personal prayer.
As Jesus says to every disciple in every generation, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). May we respond with generosity, trusting that the same Lord who called the Twelve continues to call, strengthen, and send His Church into the world today. God bless you.
