First Reading: (Isaiah 6:1–8)
Responsorial Psalm: (Psalm 93)
Response: The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of God rests upon you.
Alleluia.
Gospel: (Matthew 10:24–33)
Reflection
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah encounters the holiness and majesty of God. Standing before the Lord, he becomes painfully aware of his own sinfulness and cries out:
"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips."
Yet God does not reject him. Instead, God purifies him, removes his guilt, and prepares him for mission. Then comes the divine invitation:
"Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?"
Isaiah responds with remarkable courage:
"Here am I; send me!"
The Gospel presents Jesus preparing His disciples for a difficult mission. He knows they will encounter rejection, hostility, and persecution. That is why, throughout this passage, He repeatedly encourages them:
"Do not be afraid."
Fear is one of the greatest struggles of the human heart. We fear failure, rejection, illness, uncertainty, and loss.
Psychologists observe that anxiety often begins with endless "what if" questions:
What if I fail?
What if I lose everything?
What if things become worse?
What if no one helps me?
The anxious mind continually imagines the worst possible future, drawing us away from the present and trapping us in imagined disasters.
Faith offers a different response.
Whenever fear asks, "What if?" faith replies:
"Even if, the Lord is with me."
Even if things do not unfold according to my plans, the Lord is with me.
Even if I suffer, the Lord is with me.
Even if I experience uncertainty, loss, or pain, the Lord is with me.
This perspective changes everything.
Faith does not always remove life's storms, but it enables us to stand firmly within them.
Jesus reinforces this truth when He reminds His disciples:
"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father. Even the hairs of your head are all counted."
God knows every detail of our lives. Every burden, every hidden struggle, every tear is seen by our loving Father.
The psalm proclaims:
"The Lord is King; he is robed in majesty."
This is the foundation of Christian courage.
Fear does not reign.
Anxiety does not reign.
Darkness does not reign.
Death does not reign.
God alone reigns.
Whenever we forget this truth, fear grows stronger. But whenever we remember who sits upon the throne, peace begins to return.
Most of us may never experience dramatic persecution, but every day we are called to witness to Christ through honesty, forgiveness, compassion, integrity, and faithful living.
Jesus reminds us:
"Everyone who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven."
Faith cannot remain hidden.
Like Isaiah, each one of us hears God asking today:
"Whom shall I send?"
The question is not whether God calls us-He does.
The real question is whether we will answer in fear or in faith.
Today's readings leave us with several important lessons:
God calls imperfect people. Like Isaiah, we may feel unworthy, but God purifies and strengthens those He calls.
Do not allow "what if" to control your life. Replace it with the confidence of "even if, the Lord is with me."
God knows every detail of your life. Nothing escapes His loving care.
Courage is not the absence of fear; it is trusting God in the midst of fear.
When God asks, "Whom shall I send?" may our response always be:
"Here I am, Lord; send me."
Amen.
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