I have always been inspired by the readings from the Acts of the Apostles. The way the followers of Christ sold everything and put it at the feet of the Apostles so everyone could be provided for, the way they persevered despite suffering so much for their faith, the way they traveled such vast distances to preach and teach. Having a background in missionary work, it is so nostalgic for me and makes me want to jump on a plane to go Evangelize in a foreign country. It always makes me want to do more.
Yet I am at a season in life where I simply cannot do that. I am not called to fly across the ocean or cross the southern border. I have my own children to raise now, and a suffering husband to take care of. My “foreign country” is now the four walls of my home and my “ocean” is the depths of love it takes to persevere day in and day out, despite constant challenges.
In the first reading Paul writes, “You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” These words can bring so much joy to our hearts!
We may not be sojourners but we are still members of the household of God. We may not be able to go out and preach like the Apostles did but we are built upon their foundation. We were not afforded the privilege of meeting Jesus in person but He is still our capstone, our Leader. We are an essential part of the temple that is sacred to the Lord, the temple that He Himself holds together. And perhaps most importantly, God resides in us! We are a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit!
Essentially it doesn’t matter how far we travel or how many words we preach or how many people we convert. What matters is allowing God to work in us and through us in the way that He wishes. What matters is having the humility and the flexibility and the openness to become one of His fine-tuned instruments. What matters is loving and being loved by both God and others. So march on, missionary disciple, and continue the work that God has in store for you.
Daily Reading
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading 1 Malachi 3:19-20a Lo, the day is coming, blazing like an oven, when all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will…
Saint of the Day
St. Joseph Moscati
St. Joseph Moscati
Feast date: Nov 16
On November 16, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Joseph Moscati, the first modern medical doctor to be canonized. Born on July 25, 1880 in Benevento, Italy, he lived out the Gospel through his position as a teacher and physician. There are a number of stories of Dr. Moscati paying close attention to the state of his patient’s soul as well as the body, sometimes even bringing the patient back to the sacraments. The Catholic understanding of body and soul clearly informed his understanding of illness and medicine. He saw Confession and Communion as the “first medicine.”He is quoted as once having said, “Remember that you have to deal not only with the bodies but also with the moaning souls coming to you.”Dr. Moscati’s holiness and devotion wasn’t just limited to his practice. To help the poor, he often donated his medical services or paid for his patients’ prescriptions. St. Joseph Moscati also felt it was important to support priests and those in religious life with his prayers because, as he said: “They are easily forgotten by the living, since Christians often think that they do not need prayers.”He carried a Rosary in his pocket as a reminder throughout his day and as a way to draw him to Our Lady — and through her, to Jesus — when he needed to make important decisions.St. Joseph Moscati died on April 12, 1927 of natural causes in his office between patient appointments. He was beatified on November 16, 1975 by Pope Paul VI and canonized on October 25, 1987 by Pope John Paul II. His body rests in Naples, Italy, in the Church of Gesu Nuovo.