Lectio: 7.09.13

Mt 10.1-7                                                                 

Meditatio: "Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” Mt 10.1

Oratio: "O God, Your Son gave His closest disciples the power to work miracles in order to bring others to faith - how kind of Jesus!

I remember the Twelve went out first to the towns of Israel and used their powers to attract people to the proclamation that the Kingdom of God is at hand!

Grant that I may be ever grateful for the evangelization efforts of the Apostles and their successors down through the ages for we are the beneficiaries of their efforts.

I ask all things in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Contemplation: spend a few moments in silence and reflect on the selected passage and its import for you.

Operatio: reflect on "authority over....unclean spirits:” It was believed in their times that illnesses were the result of unclean spirits invading the person so this authority goes hand in hand with the power to cure; it also meant that like Jesus they could also cast out the devil from  a person who was suffering from demonic possession. In prayer thank Jesus for giving His Twelve the power to cure so that the message of the Kingdom would be more readily accepted and remember that every day we have the miracle of the Eucharist to help us to help others on their way to the kingdom; May God be praised!

Tomorrow's reading: M 10.7-15