Daily Gospel Reflection
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July 13, 2023
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words—
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”
Reflection
Reflecting on Jesus’ words to his people, we see a heartfelt message that encourages all disciples of Christ to live in his image and likeness by inviting us to engage in acts of compassion and healing.
We are given so many gifts regularly from the Lord but sometimes forget to trust him. We want to protect or reserve something for ourselves, refusing to trust that the rest will take care of itself in due time.
Genuine giving can take so many different forms—taking the time to open the door for a stranger, offering food, attention, or time to someone in greater need than you, or even visiting a cemetery and praying for someone who doesn’t have family or friends to do so. All of these require sacrifice of time and resources we usually reserve for ourselves and our own.
Additionally, we are told to be discerning in our efforts and invest in places where we see receptivity to God’s work. If giving time and effort in areas is undervalued or not appreciated, we must adjust and find a new outlet to support.
What about the shaking of dust from feet? I imagine the Lord telling us to turn the other cheek but also not to take things personally. We must recognize and appreciate our gifts but also understand that we are on a mission of love from God. It’s Christ’s work, investing our energy and resources where they’ll be most fruitful is using God’s time and resources wisely.
Ultimately, we must trust in Christ and follow his way, which is greater than any personal concerns or issues. We follow the Lord and live with the purpose God gave us when we serve with compassion, healing, and peace with everyone we encounter, thus creating a better, more loving world for all of us.
Prayer
Loving God, You call us your beloved Sons and Daughters and by name. May we not be afraid or lack trust in letting Jesus heal what is broken in our mind, body or spirit. May Jesus lead us outside of ourselves to the immigrants, refugees, poor, imprisoned and homeless, seeing His compassion is for all of us. We ask this through Jesus the Shepherd and our Brother. Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Henry was the most important ruler of his time, and is remembered for his virtue and his careful tending of the Church and his people.
He was born in 972 to royalty in Bavaria, and was well-educated. At the age of 30, he was chosen emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. As emperor, he was surrounded at all times by honor, power, and wealth, and he fought pride and selfishness with constant attention to prayer, which gave him humility. He understood that his position was an opportunity to serve God and the people he led.
Still, he was an effective and savvy politician, and expanded the territory and influence of the empire. Along the way, he helped further establish the Church, restoring churches and monasteries in regions where it had been neglected. He wanted to spread the faith and support the poor, and the institutions he founded ensured that this work would continue past his own lifetime.
In one of his excursions against the Greeks, he fell sick and took rest at Monte Cassino, where it is said that he was cured through the intercession of St. Benedict. The illness left Henry partly disabled for the rest of his life.
Much of what has been passed down to us about Henry has been exaggerated because of his position, but it seems that he took as much care to govern himself as the empire. He helped in efforts to reform and renew the Church, and is considered the most important ruler in Europe at the beginning of the 11th century.
St. Henry’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Henry, you were the king who governed yourself with as much care as you did the empire—pray for us!