Year after year many of us are still striving to become better disciples of our Lord Jesus and seeking His kingdom. In doing so we have failed our mission, our call as true disciples of ours Lord. For our Lord never commanded us to be better disciples although that is a given, He commanded us to…. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
So today how many have you helped groom into becoming disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ? How many have been freed to live in His peace, mercy and love? To become a dear sister and brother in Christ Jesus our Lord? To the awareness that the Kingdom of the Lord our God is among us! To likewise be sent to welcome others into His kingdom as children of God our loving Father.
Grant me Lord a disciple’s heart, mind, tongue, courage and humility to make better disciples than myself; more importantly disciples worthy of your Kingdom. For Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done. Now and forever. Amen
First reading
Philemon 7-20 ·
He is a slave no longer, but a dear brother in the Lord
I am so delighted, and comforted, to know of your love; they tell me, brother, how you have put new heart into the saints.
Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead, reminding you that this is Paul writing, an old man now and, what is more, still a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. He was of no use to you before, but he will be useful to you now, as he has been to me. I am sending him back to you, and with him – I could say – a part of my own self. I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the Good News has brought me. However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. I know you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, but it was only so that you could have him back for ever, not as a slave any more, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, as a blood-brother as well as a brother in the Lord. So if all that we have in common means anything to you, welcome him as you would me; but if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, then let me pay for it. I am writing this in my own handwriting: I, Paul, shall pay it back – I will not add any mention of your own debt to me, which is yourself. Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; put new heart into me, in Christ.
Gospel
Luke 17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was to come, Jesus gave them this answer, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God does not admit of observation and there will be no one to say, “Look here! Look there!” For, you must know, the kingdom of God is among you.’
He said to the disciples, ‘A time will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man and will not see it. They will say to you, “Look there!” or, “Look here!” Make no move; do not set off in pursuit; for as the lightning flashing from one part of heaven lights up the other, so will be the Son of Man when his day comes. But first he must suffer grievously and be rejected by this generation.’
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