GOSPEL, Matthew (28: 16-20)

 Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew

 The Commissioning of the Disciples

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Gospel of the Lord

 

REFLECTION

Matthew describes Jesus’s last manifestation to the disciples as an affirmation of His unlimited and universal power; establishing the Church’s mission in the world and ensuring the presence of Jesus among those who have faith.

 With the authority He received from God, Jesus sent his disciples on their ministries. Jesus accompanies, sustains, guides and gives courage. He shows them the way, gives them strength to continue their responsibilities, and accompanies them throughout. . The Church continues to be nurtured.

Jesus revealed to his disciples the great mystery of our faith – the threefold nature of a God in three persons and the inseparable union of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ mission is to reveal the glory of God to us – a Trinity of people – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and to unite us with God in a community of unbreakable unity and eternal love. The ultimate end and purpose for which God created us, is the entry of the sons and daughters of God into the perfect unity of the blessed Trinity.

Sent to all the peoples in the world, the Apostles everywhere will announce that Jesus is still alive and wants every persons to participate in the life of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, through faith and Baptism. Jesus’ mission is to reveal the glory of God to us – a Trinity of people – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and to unite us with God in a community of unbreakable unity and eternal love.

 To say “still some doubted” shows that the belief in the resurrection and the presence of Jesus in the life of his followers was never a certainty. Faith is not a certainty, but an option for accepting what is believed. Jesus is not sure, but he invites faith.

 Jesus indicated Baptism and the observance of what He commanded as a condition for people to be His disciples. He promises His presence and assistance forever.

 By believing in the Son of God to whom everything was given and who loves us unconditionally, let us assume our duty to internalize his message in the Eucharist and bear witness to it through our Word and service to all people, showing that we are authentic Disciples of Christ.

 

PRAYER

 OH, Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you deeply and offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles on earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifference with which He himself is offended. Moreover, for the infinite merits of Her Most Holy Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I ask You for the conversion of the poor sinners. Amen.

 CORNER OF MEDITATION

In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son…