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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.” Matthew 10:7–8
And they were off! After choosing Twelve of His disciples and
naming them Apostles—that is, those who are sent—Jesus sends them
out, two by two, into the towns and villages of Israel, places
where He Himself would later come. They go before Him, preparing
hearts to receive the fullness of the Gospel when the Lord Himself
arrives.
At this stage, their mission is directed solely “to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6). They are not to go into
pagan or Samaritan regions—not yet. Only after the Passion,
Resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
will they go to the ends of the earth, empowered to “make disciples
of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). This first mission, therefore, is
a foretaste—a seed of the universal mission that will blossom in
the early Church and continue through missionary efforts
today.
In this twofold sending—first to Israel, then to all nations—we
glimpse the pattern of the spiritual life: God first works
inwardly, forming and healing the soul, and then sends it outward
in love. Our evangelization must arise from an interior communion
with Christ, deepened by grace and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Just as the Apostles could not be sent to the world until
Pentecost, neither can we bear lasting fruit unless we, too, are
first transformed by His Spirit.
Consider this twofold process in your life. The Apostles’ first
mission can be likened to our calling to witness to the faith
within our homes—to spouses, children, relatives, and close
friends. But just as the Twelve had to be formed by Christ before
proclaiming His Kingdom, we, too, must be formed in the school of
grace. The Apostles were first called, taught, shown signs and
wonders, drawn to deeper faith, and only then prepared for this
first mission.
Likewise, before we can effectively evangelize even within our
families, our own conversion must be sincere. For example, parents
hand on the faith to their children not merely by teaching
doctrine, but by living a faith that is visibly alive. Daily
prayer, faithful attendance at Mass, and a genuine love for Christ
in the home form the atmosphere in which grace can flourish. This
must flow from an interior transformation—similar to the Apostles,
who left everything to follow Jesus and were gradually conformed to
His mind and heart.
That the Apostles were sufficiently prepared to proclaim the
Kingdom is evident in Jesus’ words as He sends them forth. To “cure
the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons,”
and to give freely what they themselves had received, reveals that
they had already been entrusted with much. Their transformation was
not yet complete, but it was real. And Christ, knowing their
weaknesses, still entrusted them with His power—because their
hearts were open and receptive to grace.
So it is with us. Unless we allow Christ to heal, instruct, and
sanctify us—unless we live in daily communion with Him—we will
struggle to pass on the faith, even to those closest to us.
Evangelization does not begin with strategies or words, but with
lives deeply conformed to Christ. Only then will we be able to
proclaim, with credibility and power, that the Kingdom of Heaven is
at hand.
Reflect today on this first mission upon which Jesus sent His
Apostles. See in their example your own calling: to be formed
interiorly by grace so that you become a living witness to the
Kingdom of God within you. Begin with those closest to you and,
from there, remain attentive to the ways the Holy Spirit leads you
to bring the Gospel even farther. As with the Apostles, trust that
your response to grace will bear fruit in ways fully known only to
God.
My Lord and King, You desire that Your Kingdom be proclaimed to
the ends of the earth. Please first establish Your Kingdom in my
soul, conforming me to Your reign. From there, please use me as an
instrument of Your grace for those closest to me and to all to whom
You wish to send me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Jesus blesses the Apostolic College by Lawrence OP,
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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