Hosea 10:1-3, 7-8, 12 / Matthew 10:1-7
To be prosperous and wealthy can be seen as a blessing from God.
To have received such blessings, one must always give thanks to God and be faithful to Him.
But prosperity and wealth can also be a distraction in that one can become complacent and begin to take blessings for granted.
And it would be tragic that in receiving all the good things of life, God is forgotten.
In the first reading, we heard that Israel was blessed by God and became a luxuriant vine yielding plenty.
But the more the fruit increased, the more divided was Israel’s heart.
Because sin was always lurking around the heart to distract it and make it unfaithful to God.
In the gospel, Jesus summoned His disciples and sent them out with authority and power to cast out unclean spirits and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.
Sin and evil are always present to make us forget about God and to be unfaithful to Him.
Let us pray for God’s protection and also for His blessings to be humble and to walk faithfully in His ways.