In the Gospel reading, Jesus' instruction to the Twelve is applicable to us, his followers who are called to share in the mission of the Church. This involves the fate similar to that of Jesus. The trials expected include physical assault (10:17), betrayal (10:17,19,21), hatred (10:22) and persecution (10:23). Jesus' disciples are urged to persevere till the end. As followers of Christ, we are expected to be seekers who absorb and imbibe Jesus' values and learn from him how to live with a counter-value system against the prevailing dominant culture. The self-centredness in people we experience today as reflected in the growing individualism, materialism, marginalization, asks us to counter such with Jesus' message of liberation. If we do not translate the gospel message, the Good News into relevant actions, we do not become witnesses of Christ.

To do this, we have to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. The response to the Holy Spirit is never a blind decision, rather a conscious choice based on gospel values. Today we are challenged to reflect on the following questions:

1. How do we as individuals and a group consider ourselves as true followers of Christ?

2. Do we evaluate/review regularly our lives as Christians in order to assess our responses to the daily challenges we face?