12 July , 2023 | Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel Mt 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, "Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Reflections For the Evangelist Matthew, the Mission Discourse is the second great discourse of Jesus. The twelve apostles, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel, are the band of men to assist Jesus in his mission. These are no special people, but are made special because the