“Shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of His name; proclaim His glorious praise. Say to God. ‘How tremendous are Your deeds!’” (Psalm 66:1-3)
Reflections on the readings for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 3, 2022): IS 66:10-14; PS 66:1-3,4-5,6-7,16,20; GAL 6:14-18; LK 10:1-12,17-20
MISSIO offers “Preaching Mission,” as a homily help, providing connections to mission from the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days.
Our Savior wants us to know and embrace His love and mercy now -- so that we may be His for life-everlasting.
Today’s Gospel invites us to contemplate the mission of the seventy-two disciples Jesus sends out to prepare others for Him. He instructs them on how they should ready themselves and what they should expect. But first, our Lord speaks of the harvest of souls they will play a part in bringing to God -- and how they should pray for more workers to achieve this end. He also lets them know what they should not bring or do. They must learn to depend on Him, not on themselves. They must not stop for idle chatter. Entrusting them with a great mission, Christ wants the disciples to bring His peace to all who will listen and learn and believe. “Peace” is not simply a friendly greeting, it is an invitation to open themselves to God’s grace and mercy. Jesus wants these disciples who have been called to serve Him to understand the importance of His message: the kingdom of God is at hand. This is the gift they must share by preaching in His name. Moreover, our Lord prepares them not only for success, but for failure as well. If individuals or towns do not accept what they have to say, they must not waste time or energy in arguing. Just as the gift of salvation through Christ is offered freely, it must be welcomed freely.
So they set out, two by two. And so, they came back to report all they had experienced. “The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of Your name.’ Jesus said, ‘I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. … Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:17-18,20). They had achieved a great deal of good in readying people to meet Christ Himself. But, He wanted them to grasp the fact that whatever wonders they or the men, women, and children they met along the way had witnessed was not really the point. His ultimate goal is rescuing people from evil and mortality. Our Savior wants us to know and embrace His love and mercy now -- so that we may be His for life-everlasting. At that moment in Jesus’ ministry, no one realized the sacrifice He would make of Himself so that each of us can have our names “written in heaven.” But they would know. And so do we.
