GLOCAL

June 18, 2023 – Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061823.cfm)

In our gospel today, Jesus summoned his disciples, and gave them authority to heal every disease and sickness. He made his disciples share his authority and mission to preach the good news of salvation to all. He commissioned them and gave them the tasks to be preachers and evangelizers of God’s kingdom. Jesus added however that they should start, not elsewhere, but at home.

Since then and until now, as followers of Christ, we share the same authority and commission with the disciples to preach and witness the reign of God’s kingdom to all in our world today. And in the same way, we are to establish & begin in our own homes, families, and communities.

Start locally and then… globally. Or we may say…. Go GLOCAL.

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Considering that in doing our tasks and mission as evangelizers and preachers of God’s kingdom, there is always a tendency or even a temptation for us to blame the evil in the world on others, and to reach out for our poor brothers and sisters in need who are far-away from us. But as Jesus would insist, we start to live our faith and practice what we preach in our own homes, in our own neighborhood and communities. As he said to “go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel…for the Kingdom of heaven IS AT HAND”, Jesus thus requires us to perform our mission to – our people nearby, rather than pagan territory, because the Kingdom – the Good News is up and coming available right here right now. In other words, Charity begins locally at home.

For who are our neighbors? Our neighbor is the immediate person we live with, who needs our immediate attention and care. We don’t have to go out to help others far from us. We start with our kasambahay, kapamilya, family, relatives, friends & associates. We start to correct and clean the evils and sinfulness in our homes before we deal with our world outside. We try to witness our faith with people nearby by making our lives now better to live in.

Remember it was only later, during Jesus’ ascension that the disciples were sent to all the nations of the world. Start locally and then globally. Begin in your own homes nearby and then, expand & extend into the world.

Being called & sent to be His missionaries today, with Our Mother of Perpetual Help, let this be our prayer : “Lord, grant me the grace to be what You want me to be, and to do what You want me to do, not there & later, but here & now at this very moment.” Amen.