Here Jesus teaches us that a Christian, one who wishes to follow him, must do his/her own apostolate's work.
Obviously those of us who want to follow Him and have a family know well that we have voluntarily and consciously assumed heavy and binding obligations towards it, as its members are our closest neighbor.
The family therefore requires us to engage our energies in the best possible way. Those of us who still have children at home also have a special educational mission which is our first apostolic duty.

Consequently this mission should be understood by us Christians as an opportunity that leaves its mark on people's lives, already as children and then as adolescents and young people.
As Pope Francis tells us, this is a great "responsibility" and at the same time an opportunity "to introduce young people, with wisdom and respect, to the ways of the world and of life", through accompaniment that makes them capable of "opening themselves to what is true, to the beautiful, to the good”.

It is no coincidence that one of the aspects highlighted by the Pontiff is the ability to "testify - first of all with one's life but also with words - that the Christian faith is the bearer of "light and truth in every sphere of existence, without excluding anything, without clipping the wings of young people's dreams, without impoverishing their aspirations".
Fortunately and by God's grace we are not alone in this mission, because we can take advantage of the structures of the Church. In this, however, always paying close attention to avoid abdicating our primary role as parents; we also know that the Church is holy, but although it is very rare, unpleasant surprises can also be found within.

For others who do not have or no longer have the responsibility of the family, the obligation of apostolate and proselytism does not cease, and neither does the educational mission towards those around us. Without excluding, indeed hoping that around us there is someone who can help us and who is an example for us with his life and his works.

THE GOOD OUTCOME AND SUCCESS OF OUR PERSONAL APOSTOLATE DEPEND ON A FUNDAMENTAL FACT: FEELING AND BEING CLOSE TO GOD AT EVERY MOMENT OF THE DAY, SEEKING TO REMEMBER THAT HE ALWAYS SEES US, AT EVERY MOMENT.
We must be sure that what happens to us is not due to chance, if in making our decisions we have first asked God to assist us. We therefore ALWAYS, every day, set aside some time to talk to him in silence, confide in Him and listen to His answers. Maybe we won't hear any about it right away, maybe it will seem like we're doing something useless, but if we look around us later we'll see that in the end He di help us to do the right thing.

Our prayer is essential. If we pray a rosary every day perhaps with a particular intention, this will help us in everything.
But be careful that this prayer is not simply mechanical noise, an empty chant. We have to pray thinking about what we are doing and why we are doing it.

End of comment

HISTORICAL NOTE

Saint of the day: On December 3, Saint Francis Xavier is venerated, a priest born on April 7 of the year 1506 in the castle of Xavier, in Navarre. Pope Urban VIII will call him "the Apostle of the Indies"

Since his adolescence he applied himself with passionate love to the study of letters, in which he achieved excellent results. Already professor of Philosophy in the college of St. Barbara in Paris, he met by the providence of God with St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the 'Society of Jesus'.
The latter tirelessly repeated to him the evangelical sentence: «What does it profit a man to acquire the whole world, if he then loses his soul ? ».
With the help of grace, the holy founder of the Jesuits induced him to reflect well on this, making him understand the truth and importance of this maxim, so much so that he, abandoning every worldly project, gave himself with all his energies to the holy cause of the Lord , under the expert guidance of St. Ignatius. He became a deacon and finally, after two months of harsh penance, was able to celebrate his first Mass with an indescribable outpouring of heart.

Meanwhile John III, king of Portugal, having heard the fame of Ignatius' companions, asked for some to be sent as missionaries to the East Indies.
Knowing this and enlightened by heaven, Ignatius chose Saverio, who gladly accepted the mission entrusted to him.

Having received the papal blessing, he left and happily arrived in Goa, the main city of the Indies, which was the first to receive the fruits of Francis' word. From Goa in 1545 he left for the Malacca peninsula, the in Malaysia, where he met some Japanese who proposed him to extend evangelization to Japan, where he also arrived in Kagoshima in August 1549. There he understood the importance of China, where he then headed: but, falling ill during the journey from Malacca to the island of Sancian, he died in 1552, without being able to receive any sacrament and deprived of a Christian burial. His body was taken to Goa, where it is today in the church of Bom Jesus.

 
  Don't worry ! the mercy of Jesus
  is INFINITE

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 9,35-38.10,1.6-8.

Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
Then he summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give."

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