#AmbassadorSearch

First Reading
Acts 11:21B-26; 13:1-3
In those days a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The news about them reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem,
and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
When he arrived and saw the grace of God,
he rejoiced and encouraged them all
to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart,
for he was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith.
And a large number of people was added to the Lord.
Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch.
For a whole year they met with the Church
and taught a large number of people,
and it was in Antioch that the disciples
were first called Christians.

Now there were in the Church at Antioch prophets and teachers:
Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger,
Lucius of Cyrene,
Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, completing their fasting and prayer,
they laid hands on them and sent them off.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 98:1, 2-3AB, 3CD-4, 5-6
R.    (see 2b)  The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.
Sing praise to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.
R.    The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power.

Gospel
Matthew 5:20-26
Jesus said to his disciples:
“I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors,
You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment.
But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment,
and whoever says to his brother, Raqa,
will be answerable to the Sanhedrin,
and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna.
Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar,
and there recall that your brother
has anything against you,
leave your gift there at the altar,
go first and be reconciled with your brother,
and then come and offer your gift.
Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him.
Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge,
and the judge will hand you over to the guard,
and you will be thrown into prison.
Amen, I say to you,
you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

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“When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord in firmness of heart.” (Acts 11:23)

REFLECTION
After months of being quarantined at home, we start to engage in different things that would keep us sane in this time of pandemic. Some people started to learn how to work in the kitchen. Some started a good diet and a workout routine. Others invested in starting and creating a small business (#SupportSmallBusiness), while others waited for sales and hot deals online. Some raised funds and offered help to those in need, while some just used this time to disconnect and reconnect to the things that have been too hard for them.

A new trend has begun and this is what they call the “#AmbassadorSearch” wherein the aspirants would have to meet such requirements for them to be acknowledged as an ambassador of a certain brand of their choice. In the business world, an ambassador is someone who can promote the products and influence the consumers by doing different strategies. In return, they’ll be able to receive special packages.

In today’s readings, the Lord continues to educate and show His works of love and mercy for us to know how to be God-like in our everyday lives. God calls us to be the ambassadors of His good news without having a lot of things to prove. In this case, an ambassador is someone who can manifest and not contradict the vision and mission of the Lord.

Being an ambassador of the Lord doesn’t guarantee that we will have a perfect life. This will surely give a lot of trials and challenges, but we must not forget His promise of salvation. The only requirement is for us to always have a faithful and a firm heart.

Prayer
Father God, may You continue to touch every single heart in this world that they may be inspired to be an ambassador of Your Word and Your promise of salvation especially now in this time of pandemic. We also pray for the safety and the healing of this world. All this we ask in Your name. Amen.

Author

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