Word of the day

A reading from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles
ACTS 11:21B-26; 12:1-3

In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them."
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."

The journey of the disciple of Jesus is to go beyond the limits to bring this good news. But there is another pathway for the disciple of Jesus: the inner journey, the path within, the path of the disciple who seeks the Lord every day, through prayer, in meditation. If a disciple is not journeying to serve, there’s no reason for the journey. If his life is not for service, there is no point in living the Christian life”. One can become boastful and think, “'Yes, I am Christian; I am at peace, I confess, I go to Mass, I fulfill the commandments”. But the true disciple is called to service to the other: service to Jesus in the sick, the imprisoned, the hungry, those with no shirt on their back,”. Jesus wants this of us because He is to be found in them. It 's sad when you find Christians who forget this Word of Jesus:' Freely you have received, freely give',” the Pope added. “It's sad when you find Christian communities - whether it be parishes, religious congregations, dioceses – which forget this ‘gratuity’ because behind this…there is the deception to assume that salvation comes from riches, from human power. (Santa Marta, 11 June 2015)