'I was sick and you visited me . . .

'And he sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal.'

In today's Gospel, Jesus sent out His disciples to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

The Church has always recommended that the faithful undertake corporal works of mercy, especially that of visiting the sick. The Church also encourages us to follow and imitate Our Lord who showed so much concern and compassion for the sick during His life on earth.

Jesus taught the disciples to see the sick in a new way: 'I was sick and you visited me.' Each time we take care of a sick person we take care of Christ,Himself; each time we visit a sick person, we visit Christ, Himself. 'As long as you did it to one of these, the least of my brothers, you did it to me.'

Let us try to be more attentive to the sick in our midst, for it is Christ Himself we minister to in every sick person.