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Gospel Reading for July 10, 2026 – Matthew 10: 16-23
GULLIBLE
Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
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This is the reality of humankind: because of sin, there will always be wolves seeking to devour the sheep whenever it serves their own interests. To be “shrewd as serpents and simple as doves” means that we should not be GULLIBLE. As we go on a mission for Christ, we must be aware of what the enemy is capable of doing. Otherwise, we may fail to accomplish the mission entrusted to us.
Yet Jesus assures us that God will never abandon us. His Holy Spirit will put the right words in our mouths, give us the strength to persevere, and help us bear the pain of being rejected—even by those closest to us.
The Christian life is a journey toward a single goal: eternal life with God. There, all pain and suffering will come to an end, and only everlasting joy and peace will remain. Nothing in this world can compare with the glory that awaits those who remain faithful to him.
Lord Jesus, accompany us throughout our journey. Strengthen us in every trial, guide us along the path that leads to the Father, and keep us faithful until the end!
