The Teacher’s Voice

Voice over by Carol San San Lwin

Isa 30,19-21.23-26; Psalm: 146; Mt 9:35—10:1.6-8

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, the Word of God speaks a tender promise and issues a compelling call. It reveals a God who is intimately present in our sorrows and who sends us forth as agents of His compassionate love.

The Prophet Isaiah offers breathtaking words of consolation to a people in exile. The Lord, he says, is not distant from their suffering. “He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears, he will answer you.” This is the God who sees our tears and hears our prayers. He promises not only to provide bread and water, the basic necessities, but to be a constant guide: “Your ears shall hear a word behind you: ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” This is the voice of the Good Shepherd, the Teacher who instructs our hearts in the way of peace and righteousness. He promises a future of healing and light, where “the light of the moon will be like that of the sun,” a brilliant image of the world restored by God’s glory.

This promise of God’s compassionate presence finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. In the Gospel, we see this prophecy come to life. Jesus travels through towns and villages, and His heart is moved with the same compassion Isaiah described. He sees the crowds, who are like “sheep without a shepherd,” harassed, helpless, and lost. His response is twofold: He teaches, and He heals. He is the living Word, showing them the way. Then, seeing the vastness of the need, He summons His twelve disciples and gives them a share in His own authority to “cure every disease and every illness.” His instruction is direct: “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

We have received the ultimate gift—the merciful love of God in Christ, who heals our souls and guides our path. This gift is not meant to be hoarded. We are now the disciples, sent into the “harassed and helpless” situations of our own families, workplaces, and communities. We are called to be the voice that says, “This is the way,” by living the Gospel, and to extend Christ’s healing through works of mercy and prayer.

As our beloved Pope Francis constantly reminds us, we must be a “Church which goes forth,” a field hospital for a wounded world.

The comfort for us is profound. In our moments of confusion and pain, we can cry out, and God hears. He guides us through our conscience, through Scripture, and through the teaching of His Church. The challenge is to become a disciple who is also an apostle. We must first be taught by Christ, allowing His compassion to touch our own hearts, and then we must go out and give freely what we have freely received.

Let us ask for the intercession of Saint Augustine, who heard the Lord’s voice in the garden and spent the rest of his life teaching the way of truth. May we, like him, listen for the Teacher’s voice and then go forth to bring His healing compassion to a world longing for its shepherd. Amen.