The Gospel from Monday of the 15th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Matthew 10th chapter, 34th verse to 11th chapter, first verse. Jesus said to his apostles, do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I’ve come to bring not peace, but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law. And one’s enemies will be those of his household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.

And whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it. And whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Whoever receives you receives me. And whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. And whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of those little ones to drink because he is a disciple. And men, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward. When Jesus finished giving these commandments to his 12 disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. Jesus is the truth.

And when one is asked to accept a truth when they’re living in illusion, it is a difficult task. And they often attack the truthsayer. And what Jesus is warning his disciples about is that they should expect this kind of response. And then he goes on to say what they really are rejecting is him. To reject the truth of the message of Jesus is to reject his presence in your life. Father, we are so often caught up in our own understanding of things.

Open our eyes to see who you really are in us, so that we can respond by living in you through you, and therefore in the truth. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.