Always called to embrace and demonstrate our love for our Lord
Reflections on the readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (June 13, 2021): EZ 17:22-24; PS 92:2-3,13-14,15-16; 2 COR 5:6-10; MK 4:26-34
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
St. Paul experienced many hardships in spreading the Good News. And he likely believed that his own days would end by laying down his life for Christ. And that is exactly what happened.
As we discover in the parables that Jesus shares with His followers in today’s readings, God calls us to contribute to the coming of His Kingdom. This is a great part of what it means to be a Christian. Our faith is not static. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the Holy Spirit fills our souls with grace, erasing the original sin with which we were born. We become God’s children in a very special way as we are united with His only Begotten Son. Through our Savior, we are invited to His life not only in time, but also for all eternity. In the reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, we find out the importance of living our belief in Jesus. “We walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please Him.… For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:7-10). In its early days, becoming a member of the Church could be a risky business. Most of the Apostles as well as numbers of other disciples were martyred for their faith. This has continued in some measure over the two thousand years of Christianity. Missionaries and others who were confronted by those hostile to our Lord have had to choose what most mattered to them – holding on to their union with our Redeemer King or holding on to their lives. We know the faith-filled choice they made – and make – every day.
St. Paul experienced many hardships in spreading the Good News. And he likely believed that his own days would end by laying down his life for Christ. And that is exactly what happened. People in many parts of the world still face the reality of suffering for their Christian faith. While that may not be our fate, we must appreciate that we are always called to embrace and demonstrate our love for our Lord, whatever the cost.
Suggested missionary action: Whenever we pray the Our Father, let us ask Him to help us grow in faith. Then, by sharing the precious faith that we have in Him with others, we will contribute to the Kingdom of God.