Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles: Honoring Two Leaders of the Nascent Church for Her Unity and Growth

We honor Peter and Paul on June 29 as they were leading forces of the stability and the growth of the nascent Church and the development of her doctrine in response to challenges. Peter was more to keep the unity of the Church, and Paul, through his extensive missions into the Greco-Roman world let the Church expand.

While Peter was in the first batch of the disciples picked by Jesus in person (Matthew 4:18-20), Paul was probably the last Apostle, whom Jesus picked. In fact, unlike Peter, Paul was not even in the twelve disciples, whom Jesus chose (Matthew 10:1-4). He never spent time with Jesus in person, unlike Peter and the rest of the twelve.

Neither Peter nor Paul had expected to meet Jesus and follow him. But though the ways they first encountered Jesus were quite different, their paths in following Jesus met to drive the nascent Church’s growth vigorously.

Out of the blue, Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, saw Peter and his brother, Andrew, casting the fishing net into the sea (Matthew 4:18) and said:

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19).

And he and Andrew left their net and followed him (Matthew 4:20).

Paul’s encounter with Jesus was quite different. By that time, Paul was called, Jesus already died, resurrected, and ascended. The Church was already born and led by Peter. However, the nascent Church was facing severe persecution, and Paul was a zealous persecutor to the Church, as he confessed in the Second Reading of the Solemnity’s Vigil (Galatians 1:11-20).

Then, called Saul, Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest more followers of Jesus and bring them to imprison in Jerusalem, Paul was struck by a lightning and fell to the ground when Jesus spoke to Paul (Acts 9:1-4):

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? (Acts 9:4b)

In reply, Paul said:

Who are you, sir? (Acts 9:5a)

Then, Jesus said Paul:

I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do (Acts 9:5b-6).

Though the lightning made him blind for three days, Paul got up and followed Jesus’ command and met with Ananias, who baptized Paul, as called by the Lord (Acts 9:8-19).

Paul regained his sight immediately and got up and was baptized (Acts 9:18), as Ananias laid his hand over him and said,” Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit “(Acts 9:17).

Fully recovered Paul began proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God in the synagogues in Damascus (Acts 9:19-20).

Not only the ways they began to follow Jesus were different but their backgrounds were also quite different.

Peter was a fisherman in Galilee (Matthew 4:18), while Paul was highly educated Pharisee, as taught by Gamaliel from Tarsus (Acts 22:4; 23:6).

It is rather intriguing that Jesus picked a man who had no background in theology as he began his public ministry and picked a man who was zealous to destroy the newborn Church to make him for the sake of the Church. So this is how Jesus brought these two leaders, whom we honor on June 29, for his Church.

Peter and Paul are two main characters in the Acts of the Apostles to see how these men contributed for the stability and growth of the Church. In this book, written by Luke, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, Pater is featured from chapter 2 to chapter 12, and from chapter 13 to chapter 28, Paul is featured.

As the First Reading (Acts 12:1-11) describes, though Peter was securely chained in prison, the angel of the Lord led him out of it to freedom so that he would be able to continue his apostolic ministry. Paul was also in prison because of his work of Jesus, though he and his companion on his second missionary journey, Silas, came out of the prison because of the violent earthquake (Acts 16:16-34). As in the case of Peter, Paul continued with his ministry upon coming out of prison.

As for Paul, ever since the trial by Felix, corrupt Roman governor, resulting in imprisonment in Caesarea (Acts 24:24-27), Paul’s life began heading to his martyrdom in Rome. Rather than having his appealed case heard by Caesar in Rome, Paul was executed without having his case heard. Nevertheless, he never stopped his ministry, on his way to Rome and even in prison.

Upon arriving in Rome, while waiting for his case to be heard by Caesar, Paul was put in house arrest for two years, actively ministering, as allowed to receive guests (Acts 28:16-31). It is believed that Pauline prison epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, were written during these two years in Rome.

Paul was released from this house arrest, once, but arrested again. This time, he was put in a prison cell alone. It was when he wrote his Second Letter to Timothy, and we read his words to Timothy in the Second Reading (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18). From this reading, we sense that Paul knew that his martyrdom was imminent. So, while he was still able, Paul wrote these words to Timothy, whom he counted on to inherit his ministry (i.e. 1 Timothy 1:2, 18; 2 Timothy 1:2):

For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

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. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen (2 Timothy 4:17-18).

Paul had offered everything for his apostolic mission, which started in Damascus, shortly after being baptized by Ananias. He completed three mission journeys, and established churches in many places in the Greco-Roman world and fostered their growth. Now his martyrdom is fast-approaching. So Paul wanted to make sure that Timothy, his mentee, would continue where Paul left, as these were Paul’s final words of farewell to Timothy.

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 16:13-19) depicts how Peter was chose by Jesus to lead the Church. Thus, this is where the Catholics see why Peter became the first Pope. With these words, Jesus charged Peter to serve as the pastor to his Church:

Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:17-19).

Because whatever he binds and looses on earth shall be bound and loosed in heaven, the authority that Peter received from Jesus is very powerful.

Peter received this authority because he was the one who correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). But, as Jesus indicated, it was because God chose him to reveal this Christological truth. It means that God had willed Peter to serve as Pope. However, Peter had to learn a lot to be ready to lead Christ’s Church, as he was rebuked by Jesus severely for trying to prevent him from accomplishing his earthly ministry in Jerusalem (Matthew 16:21-23) and denied Jesus three times out of fear when Jesus was arrested and tried (Matthew 26:69-75). Nevertheless, Jesus did not change his mind in keeping Peter as Pope of his Church, as the Gospel Reading of the Vigil (John 21:15-19) describes. Otherwise, why would risen Jesus would reinstate Peter in his position to take care of Jesus’ sheep, until his martyrdom?

One thing we can reflect in solemnly honoring St. Peter and St. Paul is that Jesus picked these “problematic” men from different backgrounds, making them work together for the unity and the growth of his Church. When they were commissioned, these men were ready with their resolves to engage in their apostolic missions fully and boldly. So, by virtue of Baptism and Confirmation, having receiving the Holy Spirit to empower, we, too, shall strive to be like Peter and Paul.

We come from different backgrounds.  We have various educational backgrounds. And our views are diverse. But, when we are called by Jesus, we are able to work on one team for our common cause: the unity and the growth of the Church.

St. Irenaeus of Lyon: Powerful Apologist to Defend the Church, Her Unity, and Her Doctrines against Gnosticism

With clarity and resolve, can you engage in a public debate with heretics to defend the Christ’s teaching and the Church doctrines and to invalidate their false teachings without becoming fussy and argumentative? It means making an argument without committing non sequitur and ad hominem, of course. If you can, you make a good pastor and even presbyter in the Church with the tradition of St. John the Apostle, St. Polycarp, and St. Irenaeus.

On June 28, the Church honors and memorialize the life of St. Irenaeus of Lyon, who has been known as a champion of the Church in fighting against heresies, especially Gnosticism, which claims to possess “higher knowledge”( ανώτερη γνώση – anoteri gnosi).

Some may say, “What’s the problem with “higher knowledge?”, “Didn’t Jesus come to teach “higher knowledge” of the Father?”

Then, how would you respond?

First, Gnosticism is rather a blanket term that encompasses a range of heretic thoughts on seeking and attaining “higher knowledge” to be “saved”. But knowledge per se cannot save us. What Gnostics call “higher knowledge” of is not in line with the true higher wisdom and knowledge of the Father through Christ’s teaching (John 7:16; 8:28), because it is dualistic. There is no space for dualism in Christ’s teaching and Christology. And none of the Apostles and the Church Fathers, such as St. Polycarp, St. Justine and St. Irenaeus, have ever taught such a divisive thought.

Yes, the incarnated Christ, Jesus, has dual nature: divine and human. But duality is not to be confused with dualism. Otherwise, we cannot correctly understand Christology, which leads to Christ’s hypostatic union with the Father and the Holy Spirit in Trinity.

 within the Church. It was already a threat to the unity of the nascent Church in the Apostolic age. So, St. John wrote his Gospel and his three epistles to make sure the faithful believers would not be fooled by this heresy.

St. Polycarp was a student of St. John and inherited John’s anti-heresy work, defending the authenticity of Christ’s teaching, as passed through the Apostles, with his eloquent preaching. And ever since his childhood, St. Irenaeus has been impressed by St. Polycarp, and learned from this great Church Father to become another excellent preacher and staunch defender of the Church against heresies, in particular, Valentianism, a very influential Gnosticism of that time.

St. Iraneaus became the second bishop of Lyon, succeeding St. Pothinus, when the new church in Lyon was facing fierce attacks by pagans and Gnostics migrated from Asia Minor. This reality put the new church in Lyon at risk of collapsing because of divisions. Taking over St. Ponthinus’ efforts, as the second bishop of Lyon, St. Irenaeus was successful in bringing “sheep” scattered by pagans’ persecution and Gnosticism back to the church until his martyrdom.

The Scripture Readings and Responsorial Psalm of the Memorial Feast of St. Irenaeus (2 Timothy 2:22b-26; Psalm 37:3-4,5-6,30-31; John 17:20-26) reflect the life of St. Irenaeus as pastor of the church in Lyon, especially bringing those whose faith were distracted by Gnosticism back to the church through his kind and gentle teaching. Such his teaching is echoed in the Responsorial Psalm (37:3-4,5-6,30-31), especially in these verses:

The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom; his tongue speaks what is right. God’s teaching is in his heart; his steps do not falter (vv. 30-31).

In fact, the wisdom out of St. Irenaeus’ mouth when he preached and out of his writings, “Against Heresies” and “The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching”, helped many convert themselves from heresies of Gnosticism to the authentic Christianity. His fight against heretical Gnosticism to defend the Church and her doctrine, which is faithfully built upon Christ’s teaching, as passed by the Apostles, was also to maintain the unity of the Church. The unity, indeed, is Christ’s desire, as he expressed in his prayer before he entered the Passion, as described in the Gospel Reading (John 17:20-26). In this, we see Jesus willed to send his disciples out to unite those who do not yet know him to them through their apostolic mission of teaching.

St. Irenaeus was on this line of the apostolic teaching from St. John through St. Polycarp. And he made a great contribution for the unity of the church in Lyon and beyond, fighting against heretical and divisive Gnosticism.

In honoring St. Irenaeus’ contribution to unity, for the occasion of Christian unity week, on January 21, 2022, Pope Francis declared St. Irenaeus as the doctor of unity (doctor unitatis):

Saint Irenaeus of Lyon, who came from the East, exercised his episcopal ministry in the West: he was a spiritual and theological bridge between Eastern and Western Christians. His name, Irenaeus, expresses that peace which comes from the Lord and which reconciles, restoring unity. For these reasons, having obtained the opinion of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, with my Apostolic Authority I declare him a Doctor of the Church with the title of Doctor unitatis.

May the teaching of this great Master increasingly encourage the journey of all the Lord's disciples towards full communion.

Pope sees St. Irenaeus as a bridge between the Western Church and the Eastern Church, as the division between these Churches is not yet fully closed.

St. Irenaeus wrote:

As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shines everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it (Against Heresy, I,10, 2).

And these words of St. Irenaeus reflect these words of St. Paul:

Now in regard to spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware. You know how, when you were pagans, you were constantly attracted and led away to mute idols. Therefore, I tell you that nobody speaking by the spirit of God says, “Jesus be accursed.” And no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the holy Spirit.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. One Body, Many Parts.

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.

Now the body is not a single part, but many.

If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?

But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.”

Indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another.

If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it  (1 Corinthians 12:1-27).

Unity, not division, is what characterizes the one holy catholic (universal) and apostolic Church. This reflect that there is no space for heretical dualistic teaching, such as Gnosticism. And we are called by Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the Apostles and the Church Fathers to defend the unity of the Church and her doctrines against all sorts of heresies, as we speak and write the truth with wisdom, as exemplified by St. Irenaeus.

Not to Judge or To Judge: Overcoming Inherent Imperfection with the Holy Spirit

Jesus challenges us to be as perfect as the heavenly Father is (Matthew 5:48), though we are not perfect. Our imperfection began when Adam and Eve fell to Satan’s temptation (Genesis 3:1-7), though God made us in His triune image (Genesis 1:26-27) and called us very good (Genesis 1:31). Overcoming our imperfections, which have evolved from the sin of Adam and Eve, is the way to enter the Kingdom of God, because purity in our hearts, as we were created, is required to see God in the Kingdom (i.e. Matthew 5:8; cf. Revelation 22:4). One reason why the Father gave us His only begotten Son (John 3:16) is to teach us how we can surmount our imperfections. And one of our imperfections that may get in our way to the Kingdom is our inclination to judge others.

Aren’t we all tend to judge others, as we quickly notice what is wrong with another  person but we hardly recognize our own problems?

Our brains tend to judge others. Otherwise, we would not have problems of discrimination, bullying, and so forth. These problems are rooted in judging others, resulting in prejudice and stereotyping.

Namely, our judging has an inherent problem of cognitive bias.

Does it mean that we would be able to judge others without a problem if we could become bias-free?

Alas, expecting humans to be bias free is like having the fantasy of having p-value of 0 in statistical analysis.

Have you ever come across any empirical research study with its data’s statistical analysis comes with p-value of 0, which means absolutely no probability at all of committing type-I error, which is rejecting null hypothesis when it should not be rejected, resulting in faulty conclusion.

This lesson from statistics is a humbling reminder that science is not perfect because we cannot attain perfect statistical analysis, which could be symbolized with p-value of 0.

Our cognitive bias is like a risk of committing type-I error, which is mistakenly assuming that there is statistically significant difference though there is not, thus wrongfully rejecting null hypothesis when it is true. The bottom line is that the imperfect nature of our cognition and cognitive abilities make our mind quick to judge others to fit the object of the judgment to our own cognitive biases.

Given this reality, I think, one reason why Jesus taught not to judge others (Matthew 7:1) is not let this psychological fact become an obstacle to our way to the Kingdom.

So Jesus said:

Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you (Matthew 7:1-2).

In other words, judging others will result in receiving unfavorable judgement from God, thus, preventing the entrance into the Kingdom. To make this point, Paul wrote to the Romans:

You are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment. For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the very same things. We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true. Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?(Romans 2:1-3).

In the following words, Jesus hinted why we should not judge – besides the possibility of forfeiting the eligibility to enter the Kingdom:

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me remove that splinter from your eye,” while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).

Basically, through the above words, Jesus was speaking against the cognitive bias of the Dunning–Kruger effect. This cognitive bias is known to be more evident among those who are narcissistic (Christopher et al., 2023)*, as this contributes to judging others negatively in order to relatively make one appear “superior”.  

Jesus pointed out that the blindness to the “wooden beam” in one’s own eye is associated with one’s tendency to judge others, seeing the “splinter” in the eye of another person. For such a person to say, “Let me remove that splinter from your eye”, is it out of compassion? No. It is rather to show one’s superiority over the other. This is why Jesus rebuked such a person as “hypocrite”. Such a pseudo compassion of a hypocrite, out of one’s Dunning–Kruger effect is just as bad as a blind person leading another blind person, resulting in both falling (Matthew 15:14; Luke 6:39). It is not helpful to another person but can be hazardous.

Unless we attain perfect mind that is totally free of cognitive bias – that makes no wrong assumption, such as type I error and type II error in doing statistical analysis, we are not to judge others at all. Otherwise, we sure risk our chance to enter the Kingdom.

Not to judge others unless you are perfect – this teaching is echoed when Jesus said, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her”(John 8:7) in response to the scribes and the Pharisees asking him what to do with a woman, whom they claimed to have caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).

Now, it is also important to note that Jesus’ teaching against judging others does not necessarily mean that we let evil of others prevail. So, he said:

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that ‘every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector (Matthew 18:15-17).

Does it require a judgement to confront another person’s offense? Yes, it demands a judicious judgement. Did Jesus teach against this? Obviously not.

So, what should we do not to judge others, as Jesus taught, but we can make a right judgement to confront another person’s evil?

We need to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit, from whom we learn what we need to know (John 14:26) and we can receive wisdom (1 Corinthians 12:8). This way, we do not judge others, as Jesus prohibits, but can make a right judgement when and how to confront evil of another person.

There is a gap between God’s perfect mind and our imperfect minds (Isaiah 55:8-9). So, we also need to humbly heed these words of God to Samuel:

Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

Let us ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit from the Father so that we can compliment our imperfect minds and strive to perfection in order to know when not to judge and to judge correctly. We need this grace to overcome our imperfection in order to enter the Kingdom.

*Christopher, K.I., P., P. & Herbert, H.S. (2023). Presence or absence of Dunning-Kruger effect: Differences in narcissism, general self-efficacy and decision-making styles in young adults. Current Psychology 42, 1444–1455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01461-9

Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A): Who Are We Afraid Of? Who Are We Not To Be Afraid Of? That Is the Question When Terrors in All Corners

From Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time to Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, on Cycle A, Sunday Gospel Readings are taken from Jesus’ words to his twelve disciples in sending them on mission (Matthew 10:5-42), as these Gospel Readings are: Matthew 9:36-10:8 (11^th Sunday); 10:26-33 (12^th Sunday); 10:37-42 (13^th Sunday).

What prompted Jesus to send his twelve disciples on mission was his compassion for those who were troubled and abandoned, the crowds that loo ked like lost sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).  At the same time, he also recognized the enormous pastoral needs to care for them, by saying to the disciples:

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).

Thus, Jesus gave his authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness to his twelve disciples in order to send them on their mission (Matthew 10:1). In sending the twelve disciples, he instructed to care for their fellow Israelites in need to proclaim the imminence of the Kingdom of Heaven and to exorcise and to heal the sick, without cost because they received the authority to do these from him free of cost (Matthew 10:5-8).

In the portion for the Twelfth Sunday (Matthew 10:26-33), Jesus’ instruction to the disciples zooms in on dealing with fears.

The disciples were not fearless because they did not yet receive the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, for which Jesus had to suffer, die, resurrect, and ascend (John 13:31-16:11). But to send them on mission before Pentecost, Jesus was keenly aware of the disciples’ fear even with a prospect of being sent out. So, Jesus made it clear to them about the grave risk of being sent on mission, saying:

Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shred as serpents and simple as doves (Matthew 10:16).

The disciples are sent without their body guards, thus sent out as vulnerably as sheep to places that can be as hostile as wolves are. Nevertheless, Jesus commands them not to make their tasks complicated with those who are hostile, “the wolves”, by saying to be as simple as doves. However, in order not to be devoured by the wolves, Jesus calls them to be as shrewd as serpents so that they will not let not only the wolves but their fear prevent them from accomplishing the mission.

So what does Jesus have to say about being as vulnerable as sheep, as simple as doves, and as wise as serpents in facing the wolves?

First, Jesus calls the disciples to remain vigilant against those who are like “wolves under sheep skin” – those who may appear friendly to them but ready to hand them to the slaughterer (Matthew 10:17-18).

Being aware of dangerous traps on mission is part of being as smart as serpents for survival. But Jesus warns on our tendency for bodily survival over spiritual survival by speaking on two types of fear: fear of those who can kill the body but not the soul and fear of the one who can kill both the body and the soul. So Jesus first says, not to be afraid of those who persecute us, because their evil’s darkness that tries to hide the truth we speak on mission will be revealed – even though they can kill us to silence us, as nobody will be exempted from God’s judgement (Matthew 10:26; cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14). Therefore, without fear of those who try to silence us, we can proclaim the truth boldly (Matthew 10:27; cf. Matthew 5:14-16).

Then Jesus says:

And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28).

Namely, persecutors, those who try to silence you by killing you, or the wolves, are not the ones whom we should be afraid of, because they really cannot kill our souls. But the one whom we should be afraid of is the one who can destroy both our souls and bodies in Gehenna.

What does Jesus mean by saying, “the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna?

First, Gehenna means a place of the wicked are condemned by God – where God destroys both their bodies and souls for their sinful acts (i.e. Jeremiah 19:3-6). Therefore, the one whom we are to be afraid of is God, and what we should be afraid of is to make God destroy both our bodies and souls where all the wicked have been condemned – Gehenna. And another thing we need to fear is the enemy within, which is the fear that leads to apostasy. Usually, the fear resulting in denouncing the faith is fear of persecutors destroying our bodily lives. But, as Jesus has already said, they are not the ones whom we are to be afraid of, because they cannot destroy our souls. But we can choose to destroy our souls by simply apostatizing. Thus, apostasy is a spiritual suicide. So, it is either we let God destroy our souls by committing mortal sins and not repenting or committing spiritual suicide of apostasy.

At any cost, we must safeguard the health of our souls, because the soul is the seat of life, where we are connected to God – where we are grafted to Christ the vine (John 15:1-7) – where we are in him and him in us, as he is in the Father and He in him (John 14:20; 17:21). If our souls are cut off from God, who is the source of life (i.e. Genesis 2:7) – detached from Christ, who gives life abundantly (John 10:10) and is the life (John 14:6), our souls will die. And this is what those who commit mortal sins and never repent will end up with, because they have no fear of God.

In order to help us overcome our tendency to be afraid of persecutors, Jesus now turns our attention to God’s merciful providence, calling us to trust in his care (Matthew 10:29-31). Remember, no evil can win God. So, why don’t we focus on God and trust in His providential care? After all, it is what faith is about.

So, Jesus reminds us who our priority should be, especially when persecution can stir up our fears:

Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others, I will deny before my heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32-33).

Jesus sure wants us not to cut ourselves from him before persecutors. Otherwise, Jesus warms that our souls may be cut off from him, and it also means being cut off from the Father, the source of life.

Note that Jesus repeatedly says “not to be afraid” (Matthew 10:26,28, 31) in this Gospel Reading for Twelfth Sunday (Matthew 10:26-33) to emphasize not to fear the wolves (v16), who are persecutors to kill our bodies because they cannot kill our souls, because they cannot cut us from God, and because they cannot keep God’s truth hidden as everything will be revealed by God. Rather, as Jesus reminds us to fear God, who can destroy our bodies and souls in Gehenna if we let Him condemn us for committing mortal sins and never repenting. Also, we need to let our fear of God keep us from apostatizing, even though being surrounded by wolves in all corners (i.e. Matthew 10:16; Jeremiah 20:10).

The First Reading (Jeremiah 20:10-13), which is taken from Jeremiah’s sixth confession (20:7-18) gives a good realistic psychospiritual dynamics in dealing with fears within Jeremiah, about 600 years before Jesus. As he was sent on mission by God and spoke for God against the wicked Israelites to avert God’s wrath on them, Jeremiah made himself completely surrounded by persecutors. So, he honestly expressed his fears (v.10) but also spoke boldly of his confidence in God and His providence, with singing his praise to Him (vv.11-13). Jeremiah struggled to keep his soul in touch with God in order to survive.

In the Second Reading (Romans 5:12-15), Paul tells why we have this problem of evil, and it is because of what Adam brought into humanity by his sin. But, the good news is, as Paul also says, Jesus, through his suffering, death, and resurrection, has brought grace to counter this problem. And he is calling us, as he has done to the twelve disciples of his, to fight against evil as we are sent on mission. In order to accomplish our mission, however, we cannot let our fear of persecutors keep us from forging ourselves on mission. And for this, of course, we need to be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves, as Jesus says (Matthew 10:16b).

The Gospel Reading of Thirteenth Sunday (Matthew 10:37-42) is the last segments of Jesus’ instruction to the disciples when he commissioned (vv. 5-42). It is about what it takes to be his disciple and a reward of being a faithful disciple. Not to mention, a faithful disciple will never let his or her fear of persecutor stop him or her from doing apostolic mission work. And such disciples will be rewarded by God accordingly.

The Nativity of John the Baptist Calls Us to Jesus through Repentance

John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, is one of the three biblical figures, whose nativity is celebrated in the liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. Other two, whose nativities are celebrated, are Jesus (December 25) and his mother, Mary (September 8). John’s nativity is celebrated on June 24 and his death is commemorated on August 29.

As the last prophet under the old covenant, John the Baptist ushered Israel to the advent of the new covenant, which was brought by his cousin, Jesus. As reflected in the Second Reading of the feast of John’s Nativity (Acts 13:22-26), John prepared the way of the incarnated Christ in Jesus to begin his public ministry, fulfilling Isaiah 40:3-5 (Luke 3:4-6), by conducting baptism of penance (Luke 3:3), announcing the imminence of the Kingdom of God, in juxtaposition to the immediacy of the public appearance of the Messiah (Matthew 3:2).  This is a major theme of the Second Sunday of Advent.

Only Luke gives the account on the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25, 57-66) in addition to an account of the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-20). It is also Luke who describes how John’s mother, Elizabeth, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, interacted during Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth, and how John in Elizabeth’s womb responded Jesus in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:39-56).

There is a contrast between John’s birth and Jesus’ birth.

Both John and Jesus were born rather miraculously, as John was born of a barren aged mother, while Jesus was born of the virgin mother.

Both of these births were announced by the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, one of the three Archangels, along with Michael and Raphael.  Though the birth of John was announced to Elizabeth’s husband, Zachariah (Luke 1:5-25) and Mary (Luke 1:36) a, the birth of Jesus was announced to Mary (Luke 1:26-38). But in Matthew’s Gospel, it was announced to Joseph, Mary’s husband, when he was thinking to divorce from her secretly, upon finding her pregnancy was not due to him (Matthew 1:18-25).

Elizabeth found her surprise pregnancy at her advanced age as God’s special grace (Luke 1:25), and Mary was told that she became pregnant with the Son of God though was virgin because of God’s special grace (Luke 1:28, 30). Though it is not the same as the very special grace for Mary to bear the incarnated Son of God as the virgin, the special grace that let Elizabeth conceive John the Baptist at her advanced age, after years of being barren, tells that it was rather a predetermined will of God to prepare for sending His only begotten Son. So, God gave blessed Elizabeth with a special grace to bear John so that he would prepare for His Son to begin his salvific ministry upon having baptized by him.

When John was born, neighbors shared the joy of Zachariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:57-58).  And his birth brought awe not only to the neighbors but people throughout the hill country of Judea (Luke 1:65). In contrast, when Mary gave birth to Jesus, only a small number of shepherds on night watch visited the newborn Messiah and then glorified and praised God for this (Luke 2:15-20).

The area of John’s preparatory ministry for Jesus seemed to be limited in the areas of the Jordan River in Judean wilderness (Matthew 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3), Jesus traveled from Galilee to Jerusalem for his public ministry and even went to as far as the regions of Sidon and Tyre, where more Gentiles than Jews lived (Luke 10:14).

It was Malachi, the known last prophet about 400 years before John the Baptist under the old covenant, had prophesized the coming of John in the spirit of Elijah to prepare for the coming of the Son of Justice, namely, Christ, who will bring the judgement (Malachi 3:1-24(NABRE)). And this echoed in John’s own statement:

I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Luke 3:16-17).

And John testified to Jesus:

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, “A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.” I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel. I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit” (John 1:29-33).

For this reason, John the Baptist had been already known by God before his birth, as reflected in the First Reading of the Vigil (Jeremiah 1:4-10) and the First Reading of the Nativity of John the Baptist (Isaiah 49:1-6), to prepare His people to receive His only begotten Son, whom He sent 6^th months later, upon letting Elizabeth conceive with him. And John the Baptist fulfilled God’s will on him, remaining humble, while continuing to point people to Jesus (i.e. Luke 7:18-23), until his arrest by Herod Antipas for rebuking his adulterous relation with Herodias, who is the wife of his brother, Philip (Mark 6:14-20).

It is obvious that God willed John the Baptist to be born solely for His only begotten Son, incarnated in Jesus and his salvific mission for his Kingdom. This also means that John is the very last prophetic figure under the old covenant to usher Israel to the new covenant established by Christ the Son. And this is what Jesus said in regard to John:

I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he (Luke 7:28)

In other words, before the establishment of the new covenant, nobody was greater than John the Baptist in terms of righteousness. However, as the new covenant takes its effect for the establishment of the Kingdom, even the greatest sinners before can be greater than John, as he or she repents and converts. And John was humbly aware that this was what God has willed on him – simply to serve for his cousin, Jesus, and his mission.  This is why John the Baptist kept himself busy with giving baptism of repentance and announcing the imminence of the Kingdom, hinting the nearness of the new covenant.

John the Baptist was born, as God made miraculously removed the barrenness of Elizabeth, to point Israel to Jesus, who was sent by Him as the Messiah (Christ). In celebrating his nativity, let us reflect how John the Baptist continues to direct us to Jesus. Then, we will find what obstacles need to be removed through the Sacrament of Reconciliation in order to be closer to Jesus. He will send us to Jesus if we are lost, as he did to his disciples who were not able to recognize Jesus as the Christ (Luke 7:18-23).

St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher Stood Against Henry VIII’s Sin of Adultery and His Attempts to Justify It.

At some point of our lives, we may have to make a difficult choice whether to stick to Christ’s teaching at any cost to ourselves or to get along with those who are powerful in our society or organization at expense of our faith in Christ.

We all want to get along with everyone. We inherently desire peace and care for one another.  Therefore, as taught by Jesus, we strive to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and to forgive one another (Luke 6:37; Ephesians 4:32), to become imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) for His perfection (Matthew 5:48), especially on mercy (Luke 6:36). However, we must guard ourselves against heresies on peace, unity, or tolerance, just because we are to forgive and love for the sake of oneness.

Remember, neither forgiveness nor loving enemies necessarily mean that we would accept and embrace those who are still hostile to us and the truth in Christ’s teaching. And forgiveness is not given blindly but to those who repent (i.e. Luke 17:3). Otherwise, we might let devil have his way as our take on forgiveness and love and peace and unity is naïve.

Devil likes to play his cards through heretical views of unity, peace, mercy, tolerance, etc. These certainly give a good buzz to Christian ears, and those whose are unvigilant against devil’s way in heretics would not even know that they were not following Christ and his teaching but devil. This is a problem today, as not only some Christian denominations have embraced heretical teachings but also affecting the Catholic Church as some bishops showing more tolerance to false teachings, as to misinterpret Vatican II Council’s “aggiornamento” principle.

The Gospel Reading to memorialize and honor the heroic lives of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher (Matthew 10:34-39) soberly reminds us that Jesus was not a kind of peacemaker and pacifist as heretics describe. So, he says:

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 (Matthew 10:34-36).

For the his kind of peace, which the world cannot give (John 14:27), Jesus needs to cut the world through his sword of truth, namely his word and the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), sort those who are with him with steadfast loyalty, against those who are not (i.e. Revelation 1:7; Matthew 13:24-30, 47-14:12;25:33; John 5:28-29).

Would Jesus see those who propagate and espouse heretical teachings on his side?

The founder of the Anglican church, King Henry VIII of Tudor England, would and the bishops of England who supported him and justified his heresy, too. But Bishop John Fisher was not one of these bishops who fell to the heresy to justify Henry VIII’s sin of adultery, in terms of divorcing from Queen Catarina of Argon, on the ground of childlessness, to remarry younger Anne Boleyn. And Henry VIII’s chancellor, Sir Thomas More, either. Their refusal to support Henry VIII’s adultery and breakaway from the Catholic Church made them enemies of this Tudor English king and those who supported him. And their moral heroism costed their lives as they were beheaded by Henry VIII’s order.

Henry VIII's divorce from Catarina and remarriage to Anne is adultery, according to Jesus (Matthew 5:32; 19:9). Any teaching that justifies this is heresy. Those bishops, who were supposed to be moral leaders and exemplify what it means to follow Christ, betrayed the Lord in order to help earthly powerful king's selfishness to justify his adultery with heretical teaching because they wanted to keep "peace" and "unity" with this king. But, Bishop John Fisher and Sir Thomas More stook with their faith-based moral conviction. 

It is clear that who were with Christ the King but against the Tudor King and who were with the Tudor King but against Christ the King. 

Jesus says further in the Gospel Reading:

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 (Matthew 10:37-39).

To put these words of Jesus in the context against which St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher stood, we may rephrase as such as:

Whoever loved their earthly and heretical king more than Jesus and his truth are not worthy of him, though the king himself started to head his own church. Though their conscience did not support the king but gave into supporting the king because of their fear of losing their lives are those who failed to take up their crosses, thus, they were not worthy of Christ. And when Christ comes to separate those who are with him and those who are not with his sword of truth, those who saved their own lives from king’s wrath will lose them.

And the First Reading (1 Peter 4:12-19) tells us that the martyrdoms of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher were not anything surprising to those who are with and worthy of Christ, as the act of carrying their respective crosses means to share his suffering for the Spirit of glory to rest upon them.

In fact, Jesus came to fight against heretics in Judaism. So he taught against false teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, making them his enemies, resulting in costing his life. And the Apostles also fought against heresies. John wrote his Gospel specifically to fight against heretical views rampant of his time. The Church fathers continued on with this battle against false teachings. So they fought against various heresies, cementing and refining the truth in Christ’s teaching in the Church doctrines. Many councils have held, including the Nicene Council, to sort what is true and what is false. Nevertheless, heretics continue to emerge and propagate their heresies to divide the Church. And some of these false teachings are gaining their momentums by getting supports from those who are powerful and influential. In such a context today, being worthy of Christ may mean to stand against those who politically and economically powerful in the world. It can also make you at odds with your own families and even in your parishes or dioceses. If that is the case, who would you chose to stick to: Jesus Christ or those in your families, in your parishes, and diocese?

Be vigilant against what Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes as “cheap grace”, which resonates with discipleship without Christ, false discipleship not worthy of Christ, without carrying cross. Can you stand against heretics who sell “cheap grace” in their heretical teachings to justify their false views with such “buzz words” as, “peace”, “unity”, “tolerance”, and so forth?  Remember what Jesus is saying in the Gospel Reading? He is against such a false peace.

As we are really carrying our cross, we are not afraid of losing our earthly lives for the sake of standing against heretics, because we are confident that it means receiving the Spirit of glory for sharing Christ’s suffering and being worthy of Christ, who is the center of our lives.

St. Aloysius (Luigi) Gonzaga’s Steadfast Faith and Commitment to Love of God and His Children Shall Be A Test of Confirmation

40 youths received the Sacrament of Confirmation in my parish recently. For their Confirmation, the pews were fully packed. It was so nice to see these youngsters receive this Sacrament. By receiving this Sacrament, they chose to follow Christ, as mandated by him (i.e. Matthew 10:37-42; 16:24-26), by their own volitions, not forced by parents or godparents. And by willingly receiving this Sacrament, these youths show publicly that their faith is mature and firm to the point of giving up their own lives for the sake of the faith.

Well, these youths are “supposed to” show their resolve to follow Christ, I should say, because I have only see a few of these 40 confirmands at Mass regularly since the Sunday after their Confirmation. For the rest of the youths, I wonder if their professed faith to a bishop and the congregation was true. If it were, all 40 should be at Mass at least every Sunday, right?

Sadly, lukewarm superficial ceremonial faith is reality of American Catholics. This is not just a particular phenomenon of my parish but nearly in every parish across the United States.

These youths and, perhaps, their parents, Christ is not really the center of their lives. For them, there are lots of earthly priorities, thus, keeping Christ in the backburner. And we let them receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, though this Sacrament should be only given to the youth, who demonstrate their resolve and zeal in serving Christ, taking up his work, as their priority in life, regardless of their future careers.  Confirmation is a Sacrament given only to youths who are like St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a 16^th-century Jesuit novitiate, who devoted his life to teach underprivileged youths and care for his brothers and sisters in greater needs during a plague pandemic out of his steadfast love of God.

The life of steadfast faith that St. Aloysius Gonzaga lived for 23 years until his death is reflected in both the First Reading (1 John 5:1-5) and the Gospel Reading (Matthew 22:34-40) of his Memorial Feast, June 21, which is also summer solstice.

Ever since he was a young child, Aloysius had kept his ardent love for God, making a personal vow to live his life consecrated in Christ at age 9. Though he put himself through a military training as the oldest son of well-known condottiero of Castiglione delle Stiviere, it does not mean that his devotion to Christ was compromised. He kept his steadfast faith even when he fulfilled his duties in the court of Empress Maria of Austria and in the court of King Philip II of Spain as his father offered his service to them. Though he was destined to be a chivalrous military officer, like his father, God called him to be a knight to fight against the effects of the Original Sin, especially keeping children of God in the virtue of chastity and His compassionate love. Because of this, Aloysius had to respectfully disagree with his father, who tried to steer him into a military career. Though it was difficult, Aloysius convinced his father that God had called him into serving His will. So, he entered the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, at age 16, and received spiritual direction from St. Robert Bellarmine. And this decision also meant that Aloysius renounced his legal rights to inherit his father’s wealth and the title of marquis.

Because of the zeal of his faith, even before joining the Jesuits, young Aloysius enjoyed teaching underprivileged youth in his neighborhood, as he received a good education, thanks to his father. And as a Jesuit novitiate, Aloysius devoted himself for tirelessly and selflessly caring the sick and the dying during plague. He went around streets and brought them to a Jesuit hospital, offered not only physical palliative care but psychological and pastoral care. And he buried them with care when they died. In doing so, he did as an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Aloysius had been in frail physical health ever since his birth. He suffered from kidney disease, which made him physically weak. He was baptized while he was still in his mother’s womb, lest he might not make it to his birth. Nevertheless, Aloysius never let this become an obstacle to his devotion to Christ. His faith kept his zestful love of God overdrive to override his physical frailty. He never complained his physical condition. Rather, he found it as a blessing to make him even stronger in his faith and devotion.

So, Aloysius never compromised in his commitment to love those who were begotten by God in his actions, because he loved God steadfastly. And he kept this way until plague took his life.

Indeed, facing chronic kidney disease, Aloysius grew strongly in his faith and love of God. And these words of St. John from the First Reading reflect this:

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:1-3).

This is how these words of Jesus on the most important commandment – the twofold commandment of love – is practiced by Aloysius:

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

Those who were begotten by God – children of God – are the ones St. Aloysius poured out his love, as Leviticus 19:18 mandates, in demonstrating his love of God with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his mind – with nothing withheld for himself, as Deuteronomy 6:5 commands.

After all, this is a battle St. Aloysius kept fighting until his death at age 23. And these words of St. John reflect this:

For whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5).

As a matter of fact, as those who are begotten by God, as children of God, by virtue of Baptism, we are called to fight for this victory of faith over this sin-filled world, affected by the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. And this battle demands a selfless devotion to love as commanded by God, taught by Christ, as exemplified by St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

This is what those who prepare themselves for the Sacrament of Confirmation must reflect and ponder upon deeply into their hearts and soul. And only those who are ready and willing to commit to this battle of steadfast faith with zeal-filled love, until their deaths should receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Otherwise, the Church cannot win. Church constituted with people of lukewarm wimpy wishy-washy faith is not the Church of Christ.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga is a patron Saint of the youth for being an inspiring role model for young Christians and his commitment to care of the youth, as well as the sick and the dying. Because the youth are the future of the Church, their faith shall be steadfast and set to win this battle like St. Aloysius’. We must put our youth to a test to see if their faith is as mature and strong enough to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. 

Our One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church Stems from Jesus' Compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι ), God's Faithful Covenant Love (חֶסֶד):Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Upon celebrating the Solemnity of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we now reflect on our apostolic identity, as we are, indeed, one holy catholic and apostolic Church, on Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A.

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 9:36-10:8) reminds us that our one holy catholic and apostolic Church (unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam/ μίαν ἁγίαν καθολικὴν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν(mian agian katholikin kai apostolikin ekklisian)) grew out of Jesus’ compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai)), even before his proclamation to build his Church, in response to Peter’s identification of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, as the Father revealed this truth to him, indicating him as the first Pope (Matthew 16:13-19).

It was when Jesus was going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness (Matthew 9:35), being moved with compassion in seeing the great crowds being like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36).

In the original Greek text, Jesus’ response to the lost crowds is described as ἐσπλαγχνίσθη (esplanchnisthe)- being moved with compassion. This Greek word is associated with σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai), which is translated as “compassion” but literally means internal organ (σπλάγχνον (splagchnon)) being shaken. In other words, Jesus’ internal organs were shaken when he saw how pitiful the crowds were to be lost like sheep without a shepherd.

Then, out of his compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai)) for them, Jesus said to his twelve disciples:

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38).

What does Jesus mean by this statement?

Though he the crowds in needs as “sheep without a shepherd”(v.36), Jesus shifts to a harvest analogy to describe the great pastoral needs. Thus, “abundant harvest” means “great pastoral needs”. But the harvest needs are greater than the capability of the currently available farm workers or the pastoral needs are exceeding what the currently available shepherds are capable of. So, he says to ask “the master of the harvest”, referring either to the Father or himself as “the master of the harvest”. because the work of Jesus is, in essence, the work of the Father (John 5:17).

In Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers (Matthew 20:1-16), we see how God, the landowner, “the master of the harvest”, keeps adding workers in addition to his original ones, indicating the greater work loads in the vineyard.

To put this in a shepherding analogy, Jesus the Son is sent as the Good Shepherd for his Father’s sheep and saw the pastoral need to care for the lost sheep to bring them into his herd (John 10:11-18). And the Good Shepherd needs his “associate shepherds” to care for the greater pastoral needs of the world. For this reason, Jesus has trained his disciples to send them out upon Pentecost with the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, Jesus said on the night before his death:

Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father (John 14:12).

On the night of his resurrection, he said:

Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you (John 20:21).

Then, in breathing upon the disciples, he said with an implication to the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost:

Receive the holy Spirit (John 20:22).

Because Peter is the chief among the associate pastors to the Good Shepherd (i.e. Matthew 16:17-19), Jesus made sure that he takes good care of his sheep, before his departure from the earth (John 21:15-17).

Upon reminding the greater pastoral needs to be taken care to his twelve disciples (Matthew 9:37-38), Jesus gathered his twelve disciples, sharing with them his authority to exorcise and heal (Matthew 10:1-4) and gave specific instruction in commissioning them to be sent (Matthew 10:5-42). For the Gospel Reading of the Eleventh Sunday (Matthew 9:36-10:8), we only read the first four lines (vv. 5-8).

First, Jesus limited the disciples’ pastoral mission only to the Jews at that time (vv. 5-6). It was because they were not mature yet to care for pastoral needs of the Samaritans and the Gentiles. As in the case of Peter, they had to be mature enough to receive the Holy Spirit, who tells when and how to reach out beyond the Jews (Acts 10:9-48).

Secondly, Jesus instructed the disciples to proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”(v.7), resonating Jesus’ own words at the beginning of his public ministry: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).

Then Jesus instructed the disciples:

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give (Matthew 10:8).

Jesus gave the disciples his authority to drive our evil spirits and to heal the sick (Matthew 10:1) in order for this order. And, he gave the authority without cost. Therefore, he told the disciples that their pastoral service of exorcism and healing were to be given without cost.

Remember, our one holy catholic and apostolic Church grew out of Jesus’ compassion. So why does her pastoral service need to cost to those who receive? The spirit of this instruction of Jesus was also exemplified by Sts. Cosmas and Damian, twin brothers and physicians, who provided their medical services absolutely freely to anyone who sought them, until their martyrdom.

The commissioning and instructing of the twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1-42) is a prototype to the great commissioning of the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection and just before his ascension, in sending them to all nations (Matthew 28:16-20).

The Gospel Reading (Matthew 9:36-10:8) indicates that our one holy catholic and apostolic Church stemmed out of the compassion (σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai)) of Jesus (Matthew 9:36). The compassionate nature of our apostolic Church actually reflects how God’s mercy upon His people, symbolized with the eagle wing of rescue, can make them the kingdom of priests and ho nation (Exodus 19:2-6a). Thus, we shall reach out to those who are in need, bearing God’s compassion as one holy catholic and apostolic Church, without any coast. And we must share Jesus’ σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai).

The Second Reading (Romans 5:6-11), while reflecting God’s love and how it brought Christ to us and why he sacrificed himself for us, suggest that our apostolic missions are also to bring reconciliation, which is a form of healing.

Both the First Reading (Exodus 19:2-6a) and the Second Reading (Romans 5:6-11) show how God's faithful covenant love (חֶסֶד(chesed)) is to us and call us to reflect this as we go on our apostolic mission. And Jesus, σπλαγχνίζομαι (splagchnizomai), from which our apostolic Church continues to grow reflects God's (חֶסֶד(chesed)) .

Our holy catholic Church is apostolic, because Jesus, who is “master of the harvest”(Matthew 9:38) is sending his disciples out to wherever there are great pastoral needs to be take) care of. Upon his death, resurrection, and ascension, upon the descent of the Holy Spirit, we are sent on our respective apostolic missions by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God the Father gave His only begotten Son to us because He loves us (John 3:16), incarnating him (John 1:14) by the power of the Holy Spirit in the human flesh of Jesus in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:28-35).  Because of this, as the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the incarnated Christ dwells among us (John 1:14), as Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23; cf. Isaiah 7:14), always till the end of time (Matthew 28:20). The very presence of Christ the Son is assured even after his departure from the earth to return to the Father in heaven, for he is always with us in the Holy Spirit (i.e. John 14:1), whom he calls another Parakletos (John 14:16), while he is the Parakletos (1 John 2:1).

Because the Son was given to us incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus, though unblemished, Christ took our sins upon him and offered himself as the ultimate Yom Kippur sacrifice for us to reconcile with God (Leviticus 16:1-19) and as the ultimate Pesach sacrifice for us (Exodus 12:1-14) to be delivered from the bonds of sins (Romans 6:1-23). And the Father raised the Son from the dead (1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14) by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11).  Then, the risen incarnated Christ taught the disciples through the Holy Spirit for 40 days to prepare them to be sent on their apostolic missions by the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, before his ascension to return to the Father (Acts 1:1-5).

Out of His love, the Father gave His only begotten Son to us not just to save us and entitle us to eternal life (John 3:16) but to send us to all nations on our respective apostolic missions (Matthew 28:19) to carry on with the work of the Son (John 14:12), which is His work (John  5:17; 9:4). And doing the work of Christ the Son on our apostolic missions is a sign of our vital faith (John 14:12; James 2:22, 26). And it is instructed and guided by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26;16:13-15), while we are continuously nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ (i.e. John 6:51-58).