The Father’s Heart and the Mission of the Twelve

Hos 11:1-4.8c-9, Psalm: 79, Mt 10:7-15

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The prophet Hosea speaks with the tender voice of a father who cannot forget his child. “When Israel was a child, I loved him; out of Egypt I called my son.” God recalls how He taught Ephraim to walk, taking them in His arms, healing them, bending down to feed them. Yet they turned away, sacrificing to Baal and burning incense to idols. But then comes the most astonishing line: “My heart is overwhelmed, my pity is stirred. I will not give vent to my blazing anger… for I am God, not man.”

God’s love is not like human love, which can turn to bitterness when rejected. His love is faithful even when we are faithless. He is not a man that He should relent in anger; He is a Father whose compassion is stronger than His judgment. He cannot fully destroy those He has carried in His arms.

In the Gospel, Jesus sends the Twelve with the same fatherly compassion. “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.” He gives them authority, but also instructions for a mission of vulnerability: “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick.” They are to travel light, trusting in the Father’s providence, dependent on the hospitality of those they serve.

The connection is profound. The same God who carried Israel out of Egypt sends His disciples to carry the Kingdom to the lost sheep of Israel. The same Father who cannot forget His children empowers His servants to heal and restore. And the same compassion that overcomes judgment is the foundation of their mission. They are not sent to condemn, but to proclaim peace.

Pope Francis has said, “The Lord asks us to go out to the peripheries, to encounter those who are suffering and lost. He does not send us with power, but with the strength of love.” St. John Paul II, in his apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, wrote, “Every Christian is called to be a missionary disciple, bringing the light of Christ to every corner of the world.” And St. Augustine, reflecting on God’s mercy in Hosea, said, “God’s mercy is greater than any sin, for He is God, not man.”

What does this mean for us? We are the disciples sent into the harvest. We do not need to be wealthy or influential; we need to be open and trusting. We bring the Kingdom not with force, but with healing—through a kind word, a patient ear, a forgiving heart. We are called to travel light: to let go of our own agendas, our need for control, our attachments to comfort. And we are to trust that the Father, who carried Israel in His arms, will carry us.

This week, let us proclaim the Kingdom by our lives. Let us heal the sick with compassion, raise the dead through forgiveness, and cleanse the lepers of prejudice and division. And when we are rejected, let us shake the dust from our feet and move on, trusting that the Kingdom is not our possession to defend, but a gift to offer freely.

For the heart of the Father is overwhelmed with compassion. And that compassion is the heartbeat of our mission. Amen.

May God bless you all!