KINDRED Daily Gospel Reflection

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:35–10:1, 5A, 6–8

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

Then He said to His disciples:

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest.”

Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and illness.
And He sent them out with the instruction:

“Go... to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Gospel Reflection: “Freely Given, Freely Shared”

Jesus’ compassion is at the center of today’s Gospel. Before He calls the disciples, before He sends them out, before He entrusts them with authority, we are told:
“His heart was moved with pity.”

Mission begins not with strategy, but with mercy. Jesus looks upon the crowds — weary, wandering, wounded — and His heart aches for them. That ache becomes His invitation to the disciples: Go. Heal. Proclaim. Restore. Love.

These instructions can feel overwhelming: “Cure the sick… raise the dead… cleanse lepers… drive out demons.” But the power does not come from the disciples themselves. It flows from Christ, who gives freely.

Then comes the key line that shapes the entire mission:
“Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

Everything we have — mercy, forgiveness, faith, hope, healing — is gift. Not earned. Not achieved. Pure grace.
And the disciple’s task is to share that grace freely.

You may not heal with miracles, but you can heal with compassion. You may not cast out demons, but you can cast out fear, shame, and loneliness through love. You may not restore physical life, but you can restore dignity, peace, and hope with a gentle word or thoughtful act.

You are sent today — not by your own authority, but by the heart of Christ.

One Thing To Do Today:

Do one hidden act of generosity: a gift, a kindness, a prayer, or a sacrifice offered quietly and freely — with no expectation of being noticed.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You have given me everything freely. Fill my heart with Your compassion and teach me to give as generously as You give. Make my life a witness of Your mercy and love. Amen.

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