Sending out the Apostles (Matthew 10 / 16-25) Homily of His Excellency Msgr Selim Sfeir Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This is the first announcement of the persecutions the early Church would face for bearing witness to its faith in Jesus, in whom it recognized Christ. Savior of the world through his passion, death and resurrection, Jesus warns his Apostles of the dangers they will encounter on their mission, so that they may be like the Lord.
He reveals three characteristics of the apostle:
1. Clever as snakes.
The first is skill. There is no doubt that being an apostle requires creativity these days. What worked in a previous era of evangelism won't necessarily work today. New ideas and new ways of communicating are always needed. Some of these new ways are developing all around us in the various apostolates that are springing up. Many of these ideas come from secular enterprises. It simply takes an apostolic heart to identify them and put them at the service of the kingdom. For the apostle, everything speaks to him of the kingdom.
2. Candid as doves.
The apostle, while being shrewd and clever, must not lose the simplicity of heart. Being simple and clever is not a contradiction, but rather the hallmark of a fruitful apostle. He does not adopt the ways of the world but remains simple, with the Kingdom of God as his sole objective. There is something beautiful and peaceful about his simplicity. All his efforts converge towards a goal, they have a meaning. The very fact of being simple means that his only love is Christ, and his only interest is the kingdom. He who truly loves Christ achieves great things for Him.
3. Do not worry about what you will say.
Jesus assures us, “it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father who will speak through you.” It is easier for us to keep this in mind if from the outset we realize that it is the Spirit who animates us and that we are simply instruments of Providence. God is always the protagonist! With this mentality, it is easy to trust the Spirit in our work as apostles. Furthermore, let us remember that it is the Spirit who converts hearts, not our own efforts.
Let us not be perturbed, and let us resist to the end, so that the coming of the Son of Man and his vision will be our only reward. Let us also trust in these words of the Lord, which are for us today, in the various circumstances of life and the most difficult circumstances, a source of tranquility and peace.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we want to be your apostles. You send us out and warn us that our mission will not be easy. Open our minds to listen to your Holy Spirit. Open our mouths to proclaim you. Open our hearts. We trust that you will save us and that you will always come to our aid.
† Selim Sfeir
Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus