Saint Paul encountered different types of people in his ministry—deserters and harmful ones, faithful and helpful ones.

He said of Alexander, the metalworker who did him a great deal of harm, “The Lord will repay him for what he has done.” Of those who didn’t support and who deserted him, he said, “May it not be held against them.” He kept the faithful and helpful people in his ministry.

The same applies to us. We succeed in accomplishing our tasks with the help of supportive people. We don’t want to entrust responsibilities to those who make our jobs difficult and heavy.

I also encountered a few difficult people in ministry. Like Saint Paul, the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. He even gave me more vineyards to serve online during the lockdown, and I became more adept in using the gifts He has endowed me with. Bella Estrella (blestrella@gmail.com)

reflect

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18, NIV)

Father, thank You for giving me the fortitude to go on in my mission despite hindrances along the way. To You be glory forever and ever.

Saint Luke, evangelist, pray for us.

First Reading | 2 Timothy 4:10-17

There will always be obstacles in our ministries. Sometimes, it will be logistical; at other times, it will be people, like Alexander the coppersmith, who will do us harm. We must overcome the obstacles and not get discouraged. What we are doing is worthwhile, so we can expect the enemy to try and hinder us. We have victory through the cross of Jesus. Let us live victoriously and ignore Satan and his minions.

¹⁰ Beloved: Demas, enamored of the present world, deserted me and went to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Luke is the only one with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry. ¹² I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak I left with Carpus in Troas, the papyrus rolls, and especially the parchments. ¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵ You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching. ¹⁶ At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! ¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

R: Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

¹⁰ Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you. ¹¹ Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. (R) ¹² Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. ¹³ Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. (R) ¹⁷ The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. ¹⁸ The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. (R)

Gospel | Luke 10:1-9

Let us remember that we have received the Gospel freely and must pass it on to others in the same way. A worker deserves his keep, but let us not insist on this if it will hinder the work of the Gospel. We need to be ready to make sacrifices if we want our ministries to succeed. Let us strive to give one hundred percent in our service to the Church.

Gospel Acclamation

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

¹ The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. ² He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. ³ Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. ⁵ Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ ⁶ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. ⁸ Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, ⁹ cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”

Read the Bible in one year! Read OBADIAH today.

The Harvest Is Plentiful

Nothing annoys me more than wasting food. Ever since I was a child, my parents instilled in me that wasting food is tantamount to stealing food from the poor. We have zero right to waste food when there are so many around the world who are starving or have insufficient food to live a healthy way of life. Just because we may live in a situation of abundance does not give us the right to waste any of the limited resources of the world.

In fact, the more we have been given, the greater is our responsibility to see that it is used well and, more so, not wasted. Jesus tells His disciples that the harvest is plentiful, that the laborers are few, and to ask the Lord to send laborers for the harvest. We are the laborers that have been sent to bring in the harvest. The only way we can be faithful to this calling is to ensure that we are fully submitted to God’s calling so we will truly understand what He is asking of us. Laboring in the work of God is a different reality to having a job in the world. We labor out of gratitude for all that He has done for us; we labor in thanksgiving for His goodness to us; we labor out of joy for having received the gift of salvation.

Whatever blessings we have received from the Lord—and there are many of them no matter how difficult our lives may be—we need to find time to give thanks to God. And the best way to give Him thanks is by laboring in the work of salvation, by bringing the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We are all called to be disciples and apostles of the Lord in this task, and we are to undertake the task with joy and gratitude in our hearts. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

reflection questions

Do you live your life in gratitude to the Lord for His goodness to you? How do you express your gratitude and joy to Him for the gift of His mercy and the salvation of your soul?

Jesus, You have never let me down. You are always there for me when I need You. Help me to entrust my life to You in the service of the Gospel.

Today, I pray for: __________________________________________________