Reflection for June 14, 2026

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Exodus 19:2-6a | ​Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 | Romans 5:6-11 | ​Matthew 9:36—10:8

​Following the fifty days of Easter and the celebration of two great solemnities, we now enter the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

​Our first reading from Exodus reminds us that we are precious in God's eyes and chosen to be His people. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, teaches us that Christ loved us completely, even while we were still sinners and undeserving of such grace. In today's Gospel, our Lord invites us to recognize that the Kingdom of God is not only something we await in the future—it is already present among us and within our hearts.

A father congratulated his daughter for her academic achievements and decided to give her a treasured possession—a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut. Before handing it over, however, he asked her to find out how much it was worth. She first took the car to a used car lot, where she was offered only P5,000 because it looked old and worn out. Next, she visited a pawn shop, which offered even less—P3,000. Finally, her father asked her to bring the car to a car club. There, collectors immediately recognized its value and offered as much as P1,000,000. The father then explained that the car's value never changed; only people's perception of it did. In the same way, we may sometimes feel overlooked or unappreciated, but our worth remains unchanged. We are precious in the eyes of God. He sees our true value, not because of what we have done, but because we belong to Him.

Did you know that God thinks about you? You are precious in His eyes. In the Book of Exodus, God tells Moses to remind the Israelites how deeply He cared for them. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt and carried them to safety, like an eagle carrying its young on its wings. God wanted them to remember that they were His special people, treasured above all others. But these blessings were not meant for them alone. God chose them for a purpose. He called them to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Having experienced God's love and care, they were meant to share that love with others and represent Him before the world. The same is true for us today. God values us, blesses us, and calls us not only to receive His love but also to be instruments of that love for others.

There is a touching story about a father and his estranged son. After a painful falling out, the son ran away from home. The father searched tirelessly for him, but despite all his efforts, he could not find him. In a final act of hope, the father placed an advertisement in a Manila newspaper. It carried a simple message: "Dear Emil, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father." When Saturday arrived, the father came expecting to see only one son. Instead, he found 500 young men named Emil waiting outside the office. Each one longed to hear those same words: "All is forgiven. I love you."

This story reminds us of God, our loving Father, who never stops searching for His children and always welcomes them home. We were unworthy and undeserving, yet Christ still chose to die for us. In his letter to the Romans, Paul reminds us that God's love is clearly shown in this amazing truth: while we were still sinners, Christ gave His life for us. This kind of love is extraordinary. It goes beyond what we can fully understand. It is deeper, greater, and more generous than any human love we can imagine. If God loved us so much that He sent His Son to suffer and die for us when we were still far from Him—when we were, in a sense, His enemies—how much more can we trust Him now that we have been reconciled to Him? Now that we have been made right with God and welcomed as His friends, we can be confident that His love will continue to guide, protect, and sustain us until the very end.

There was once a monastery that had fallen on hard times. The monks constantly criticized one another, old disagreements lingered, and the once vibrant community had become cold and lifeless. Few visitors came anymore, and the monastery seemed destined to disappear. The abbot, deeply troubled, sought the advice of a wise rabbi who lived nearby. After listening to the abbot's concerns, the rabbi offered only one sentence: "The Messiah is among you." The abbot returned and shared the mysterious message with the monks. They began wondering who among them could be the Messiah. Was it the elderly brother who quietly prayed every day? Was it the monk who worked in the garden? Could it even be the abbot himself? Because each monk thought the other might be the Messiah, they began treating one another with greater respect, kindness, and patience. Old resentments faded. Forgiveness replaced suspicion. Charity replaced criticism. Soon visitors noticed a remarkable change. The monastery radiated peace, joy, and love. More people came. Young men joined the community. What had once seemed like a dying monastery became a place that felt like heaven on earth. The monastery changed because the monks allowed God's reign to begin in their hearts.

The Kingdom of God begins in our hearts, and we are called to recognize His reign in our lives. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus sends out the apostles to proclaim the Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. For the Jewish people of His time, this message carried great significance. Many were hoping for the coming of the Messiah, someone who would free them from Roman oppression and restore the glory of Israel. They longed for a kingdom where they could worship God freely and live in peace. But Jesus reveals that the Kingdom of God is much more than a political nation or an earthly territory. The Kingdom is God's presence and rule in the lives of His people. It is found in every person who follows Him and strives to live according to His word. The Kingdom is already within us. When believers come together in faith, God's Kingdom also becomes visible in the community. This is why Jesus, seeing the crowds searching for God, says that the harvest is plentiful. The same challenge remains today. Are people still seeking God? Are we seeking Him ourselves? These questions invite us to look deeper. God calls us to search for His Kingdom, and as we do, we discover that it is already among us and within us. Like the Israelites in the Exodus, we may face struggles and difficulties along the way. Yet even in the midst of those challenges, God's Kingdom is never far away. It is present wherever hearts are open to His love and willing to follow His will.

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