First Reading: 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16

Reflection:

The Books of Kings depict the ancient history of Israel, primarily from about 960-580 B.C. Two of the major players in the Books of Kings are Elijah and Elisha. Both are prophets of God. In fact, Elijah was considered the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. His apprentice, Elisha, took up Elijah’s mantle and accepted the mission Elijah had begun after Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. In this Sunday’s reading, we hear that Elisha formed a friendship with a wealthy woman from Shunem who respected his role as a prophet. She created a place of hospitality for Elisha so he could stay whenever he was traveling. This kind of hospitality was vital to survival for a traveler, as travel in the ancient world was difficult and risky. Because of her hospitality over a long period of time, Elisha desired to repay her. His servant, Gehazi, informed Elisha that the woman and her husband had no son to carry on the family name. Elisha promised the woman that next year she would be holding a baby boy lovingly in her arms, a promise of a miracle that would evidence Elisha’s gratitude to her and God’s power to redeem.

Second Reading: Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

Reflection:

In this Sunday’s second reading, the Apostle Paul explains the incredible effect of baptism in our lives. In baptism we come to participate in the saving work of Jesus through his Paschal Mystery—his death and resurrection. Just as Jesus died, in baptism our sinful nature is put to death and we are brought to new life in Christ through the resurrection. By the grace of God our souls are cleansed of all sin (including original sin) and we take on a new identity as children of God and members of his family, the Church. We should, therefore, live according to this new identity. As St. Paul says, “You too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.” Living out our baptism means putting Jesus first in our lives, as Jesus challenges us to do in this week’s gospel reading. We are part of the family of God and that family membership should supersede all other priorities in our life. As Christians, let us, therefore, faithfully serve the Lord by dying to our own selfish desires and the priorities of this world and live for Jesus, so that we may spend eternity with him in heaven.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 10:37-42

Reflection:

Two important messages are conveyed through this gospel reading: 1) Our relationship with Jesus should take precedence over everything else in our lives; and 2) There is an intimate unity between Christ and the Church that means the treatment of other human beings is directly related to our relationship with God. Another way of thinking of these two points would be in relation to the two greatest commandments taught by Jesus elsewhere in the gospels. Namely, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” which is the greatest commandment, and the second is, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). 

In Jesus’ teaching in this week’s gospel He is, in essence, illustrating those two commands. To love God with all that you are means that your love for even those closest to you (like your father or mother) will pale in comparison to your love for God. In fact, Jesus calls us to have such a radical love for God that we are to take up our cross and follow Him, being willing even to give up our lives for Him. While not everyone is called to be a martyr in the literal sense, we are all called to become “dead to sin” (as we heard in the second reading). In other words, we must detach ourselves from anything that would take away from our love of God. We must run from anything that would become an idol, taking the place of God at the center of our lives. And we must run to God with outstretched arms. 

But how do we express our love for God to him? The second half of this Sunday’s gospel reading shows us. The primary means by which we express to God our love for Him is through loving our neighbor, including our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Church. In fact, Jesus specifically tells us that by receiving his messengers (e.g. prophets, righteous men, etc.), we are receiving Him. Another way of putting this is that if we listen to the Church and its ministers, we are listening to Jesus because the Church is the body of Christ that He has established to communicate His truth and love to the world. Let us, therefore, love God by loving one another, especially in the Church. 

Application:

  • Take a moment to reflect on your priorities in life. Is your relationship with God number one? Is He at the center of your life? What tends to take priority over God and how can you reorient your priorities to love God above all else?
  • Which “neighbor(s)” do you need to better love? Are there others in the Church, including leaders, who you have judged, condemned, or unjustly treated? What can you do to make amends and to grow in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ?