Luke 10:13-16 NRSVue

¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.

¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

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Some thoughts on this scripture

Reflection
Lord, you have done deeds of power in my life. I did not always recognise them, or use the opportunities. As I end this month, I take confidence in the thought of you looking for the lost sheep, forgiving again and again, loving me as I am in my weakness.

Reflection
Jesus entrusts his mission to the disciples, so that listening to them is like listening to him. He also promises that he will always be faithful to his disciples, that they are united like vine and branches. We are those disciples now, and through the community of his followers, Jesus spreads his gospel message today. Prayer is a time of offering ourselves as listeners to him, so that we have the meaning of the gospel and love of Jesus to share.

Reflection
Jesus berates the people for not recognising him and listening to him. They had rejected him and his message. In many ways Jesus still 'speaks' to us - in the ordinary loves, challenges and events of today. Prayer creates within us a discerning heart so that we can hear the call of the Lord and sense the love of God in many different ways in the world.