Mission and reconciliation are prominent topics in the readings. The people of the Old Covenant received their mission through Moses. We, the people of the New Covenant receive our mission through Jesus. What is our mission? We are commissioned and sent to proclaim loud and clear to all and sundry that the kingdom of God has come.The gospel passage reminds us that Jesus chooses some of his disciples for specific tasks. That is not to say that the others have nothing to do. The whole Church is missionary. Each of the baptised is duty bound to spread the Gospel to the best of his or her ability. There are many ways of doing that. But the basic and most important contribution which we can make is to live a deep Christian life

The apostles worked many miracles. In our day the miracles may not be as frequent or as evident but the power is there in the Church. Every Christian is called upon to be an influence for good in society. The presence of the kingdom is announced, Christ’s mission is continued and extended when we bring the compassion of Jesus into the lives of others. Through our ordinary daily contacts with people, especially with the lonely and those on the margins,  we can and ought be instruments of acceptance, reconciliation and healing. We don’t have to go on the foreign missions in order to do that. For most Christians the home, the parish, the work-place are the mission territories where we spread the Gospel message as best we can.