Freely You Have Received

December 06, 2025 Saturday of the First Week of Advent 
Daily Readings: Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26; Matthew 9:35-10:1,6-8

Children of God: Today, I am now 17 years as a priest, I remember my first Mass in in my first mission assignment. It was a wedding in a place called Villarosario. I thought it was a subdivision because of its name — it sounded elegant. Villarosario! I wore my best cassock, black and white, with shiny shoes. But as our parish driver took me there, the road was not a highway but a newly plowed cornfield. When we arrived, the bride and groom were wearing slippers, and the guests sat on old benches. Looking back, I learned that mission is not about comfort or appearance, but about presence — to bring Christ where He is most needed, even in the simplest of places. It was, as I often say, my “baptism of fire.”

Many times, Jesus is moved with compassion for the crowds because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He called His disciples and gave them authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, and proclaim, “The kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 10:7). Jesus did not send them to palaces or cities of power but to the lost and forgotten — the villages, the sick, the poor, and those without hope. Missionary discipleship always begins with compassion.

Being a missionary is not just for priests, religious, or missionaries in faraway lands. Every baptized person is sent by Christ. Parents who patiently teach their children to pray are missionaries. Workers who live honestly and help their coworkers are missionaries. Young people who choose kindness instead of cruelty online are missionaries. Wherever we bring Christ’s love, we share in His mission.

In my years of ministry, I have learned that the mission field is not defined by geography but by need. Sometimes the mission field is our own home — when someone is sick, broken, or far from faith. Other times, it is in our workplaces, where integrity and compassion are rare. The key is not where we are sent, but that we go with love, humility, and a heart ready to serve.

Children of God: Jesus tells us today, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Let us remember that our vocation as Christians is to bring the Good News to others, not just in words but in action. May our hearts, like the heart of Jesus, be moved with compassion. And may we, wherever we are, be living missionaries — shining witnesses of God’s mercy to the world.