The Gospel today comes from Matthew (10: 34 -11:1) and, like Saturday, our reading is at the end of the second set of Jesus’ sayings.

On Saturday the theme was divine protection; today Jesus is challenging his disciples and us, as the readers of the Gospel, to give serious thought to what it is to be a Christian.  Jesus is saying there is no such thing as just being a Christian in name only; that to be a Christian we too must take a share in Christ’s task of spreading the good news.  Jesus is teaching that we have to active with our Christianity; we have to proclaim Christ and the good news to those around us.

Fr Paul says this Gospel is divided into two parts. In the first part, there are three sayings that show the absolute priority of being a Christian over family ties, over life, and even over the very possession of one’s own self.

The second part of the Gospel deals with four sayings that promise rewards to those who live out Christ’s message. If you are an active Christian; if you are proclaiming the good news; if we are taking our role seriously then that will be rewarded.

Fr Paul says, mindful that in this Gospel we’ve come to the end of that second discourse, we might reflect on the questions ‘How active am I in my Christianity?’ Have I taken on Christ’s own task of proclaiming to good news to others?