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Title
Go to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel
Outline
Our readings are about what St Francis Xavier did not do
At least, that activity ceased when his mission began
He went after lost sheep, but they were not sheep of the house of Israel or of Europe, but of Asia
Still, the lost sheep of the house of Israel need saving
60-70% of those who call themselves Catholics are non- or semi-practicing in terms of attendance at mass - and that does not count the baptized who no longer call themselves Catholic Christians
28%+/- are content with going to mass frequently
Only 5 to 7% are fully committed
These are the figures that Bp David Toupes gave us this week.
And, of course, they do not include the millions of Orthodox and Protestants who are just as, if not more totally, lost
No wonder the Church is in a bad way, experiencing adversity and affliction, with the worst likely yet to come
But there is a “but” and the “but” is that there is a Shepherd
The Shepherd says that he “will be most gracious to you when you cry out.”
The Shepherd says, “You may be in affliction and adversity, but I give you bread and water.”
The Teacher will not hide himself.
The Shepherd will say, “This is the way; walk in it.”
The sheep will be lost no longer and “The Lord will bind up the bruise of his people.”
And there will be prosperity
But how is the Shepherd going about this?
He came to us himself and gave us his example of proclamation of the kingdom and healing, doing so because he was moved with pity
He told us to pray: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Then he gave authority to do the same to his Twelve Disciples, unlikely thought they were, and ordered them to proclaim, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
And told them to, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”
The day would come when the Holy Spirit would explode the 120 into all the world, but their first job was gathering the lost sheep of Israel.
Sisters, these directions have never been superseded
It is true that as the work expanded the Twelve had to delegate the work to others, to bishops, priests, and deacons, to catechists, consecrated virgins, and married women like Priscilla, as well as to her husband Aquilla.
And to many others.
Obviously, with OP after your names, you know that you are among this cloud in the present age
Yet for a variety of reasons such workers often lost their way or perhaps stopped listening to the voice, “this is the way; walk in it.”
So reformer delegates of the shepherd have been sent to get clergy and religious back on track, and some orders have been allowed to collapse, to clear the way for reforms.
The issue for us is to remember our calling.
It is always to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel” first and then to gathering others into the flock
And we must realize that the lost sheep must be brought back for the Lord to have a flock from which to choose workers to send into his vineyard.
Furthermore, for this Order in particular, sheep start as lambs and then become juveniles, so you can start gathering young - you do not have to wait and only go after fully mature sheep.
So, Sisters, we have our orders from the chief shepherd, and we realize that the health of the Church tomorrow depends on our following them.
Let us, then, not be lost shepherds, but rather obedient and busy workers in the Lord’s vineyard, reminding ourselves that we will find him there at work - that is where we seek closeness to him as well.
Readings
FIRST READING
Isaiah 30:19–21, 23–26
19 Yes, people of Zion, dwelling in Jerusalem,
you shall no longer weep;
He will be most gracious to you when you cry out;
as soon as he hears he will answer you.
20 The Lord will give you bread in adversity
and water in affliction.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you:
“This is the way; walk in it,”
when you would turn to the right or the left.
23 He will give rain for the seed
you sow in the ground,
And the bread that the soil produces
will be rich and abundant.
On that day your cattle will graze
in broad meadows;
24 The oxen and the donkeys that till the ground
will eat silage tossed to them
with shovel and pitchfork.
25 Upon every high mountain and lofty hill
there will be streams of running water.
On the day of the great slaughter,
when the towers fall,
26 The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun,
and the light of the sun will be seven times greater,
like the light of seven days,
On the day the LORD binds up the wounds of his people
and heals the bruises left by his blows.
RESPONSE
Isaiah 30:18d
18 Truly, the LORD is waiting to be gracious to you,
truly, he shall rise to show you mercy;
For the LORD is a God of justice:
happy are all who wait for him!
PSALM
Psalm 147:1–6
1 Hallelujah!
How good to sing praise to our God;
how pleasant to give fitting praise.
2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the dispersed of Israel,
3 Healing the brokenhearted,
and binding up their wounds.
4 He numbers the stars,
and gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, vast in power,
with wisdom beyond measure.
6 The LORD gives aid to the poor,
but casts the wicked to the ground.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Isaiah 33:22
22 For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
he it is who will save us.
GOSPEL
Matthew 9:35–10:1, 10:5a, 6–8
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