Daily Catholic Lectio
Sat, 11 July 2026
XIV Week in Ordinary Time
Isa 6:1-8. Mt 20:14-33
Fear and Vocation
Today’s Gospel is part of the missionary discourse of Jesus. In this passage, Jesus tells His apostles: “Do not be afraid.”
The apostles who are sent on mission will face rejection. They will be misunderstood, opposed, and persecuted. Yet they need not be afraid.
Through the images of the sparrow and the hair of the head, Jesus teaches them about God’s presence and protection. Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father’s knowledge. Even the hairs of their head are counted.
The disciple is precious in the eyes of God. Therefore, fear must not silence the mission.
In the first reading, we read the call of the prophet Isaiah. Standing before the holiness of the Lord, Isaiah becomes aware of his own unworthiness. He says: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips.”
Before the presence of God, Isaiah experiences fear. He sees his weakness as impurity. But God does not reject him. Through a vision, God purifies him.
Then the Lord asks: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah responds: “Here I am. Send me.”
Fear becomes vocation. Weakness becomes readiness. The one who trembled before God now stands ready to be sent by God.
Today’s readings teach us that fear is part of the journey of vocation. The apostles feel fear before rejection. Isaiah feels fear before holiness. Yet fear does not have the final word.
The God who calls us is greater than our fears.
In our lives too, fear should not stop our journey. We may fear rejection, failure, weakness, or our own unworthiness. But the Lord who calls also purifies, protects, and sends.
To be called by God does not mean that we have no fear. It means that we move forward because God is with us.
Let us say with Isaiah: “Here I am. Send me.”
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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