The Gospel today, through memorial of Saint Kateri Kataquatha Virgin 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 have 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. 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 these little ones because he is a disciple, Amen. I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward. When Jesus finished giving these commands to his 12 disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns. I’m intrigued by the last line of this passage that Jesus did two things.

He taught and he preached. And what’s the difference? Teaching is mostly attention to the mind. Something needs to be explained. Things will happen this way or that way. And I see in the first part of this passage Jesus saying to his disciples, in order to follow me, you’re going to have to reject the temple.

And if you reject the temple, you’ll have to reject your family. And if you put your family in front of me and before me, then you will not enter the kingdom of God. So it’s very clear. And that’s a teaching, but preaching is about transformation, about the mystical part of our religion. What I like about this is when he talks about those who are going to enter into the community of believers are going to be in a family, an enormous family of spirit and humans, God in us, God in one another. It’s a very, very important distinction to make sure that we receive both messages.

There is practical advice and there is the excitement of opening a whole new way of life. Please take a few moments to reflect upon these images. And then I will close with a prayer. Foreign closing prayer. Father, we are called to embrace both the difficulties and the joys of following you. Bless us with understanding how they are both integral parts of our work of becoming a new creation in you.

And we ask this in Jesus name, amen.