- 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exodus 19:2-6; Romans 5:6-11; Matthew 9:36-10:8
The readings of this Sunday reveal a single and beautiful truth: everything begins with the love of God. In the Book of Exodus (19:2–6), God reminds Israel: “I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself.” Before any commandment, mission, or covenant, there is God’s loving initiative. Israel becomes a consecrated people not because of its merits, but because it is loved and chosen by God. Consecration is therefore a response to love already received. In the Letter to the Romans (5:6–11), Saint Paul proclaims that this love reaches its fullness in Jesus Christ. While we were still weak and sinners, Christ died for us. Through Him we are not only reconciled with God, but filled with joyful trust because we have experienced the perfect expression of divine love. In Jesus, God’s love for humanity becomes visible, concrete, and complete. In the Gospel (Matthew 9:36–10:8), Jesus sees the crowds with compassion because they are like sheep without a shepherd. He then sends His disciples to continue His mission. The Church is sent into the world not primarily to transmit ideas or regulations, but to announce the greatest truth every human heart longs to hear: you are loved by God. The mission of every Christian flows from having first experienced this love personally. We are consecrated because God loved us; we are reconciled because God loved us; and we are sent because God wants every person to know that they too are loved. To live as disciples is to allow this love to shape our lives and to become its witnesses wherever God places us. Let’s reflect: Have I truly accepted that I am loved, chosen, and reconciled by God in Jesus Christ, and does my life help others discover that they too are deeply loved by Him?
Don Giorgio