Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me,
and I to the world.
For neither does circumcision mean anything, nor does uncircumcision,
but only a new creation.
Peace and mercy be to all who follow this rule
and to the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make troubles for me;
for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit,
brothers and sisters. Amen.
Gospel
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
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.
Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Reflection
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends His disciples to spread the Good News—and He gives them clear instructions for how to do it. He tells them what to bring, what to say, and how to act. In contrast, while many of us might know we have some mission from God, we feel that we lack the blueprint. “If only Jesus Christ would lay out the process for me,” we might sigh, “then I could evangelize and overcome any doubts along the way.”
We might not get specific directions akin to what the seventy-two heard, nor will many of us receive the ability to cure the sick or cast out demons. But, we can still take from this Gospel clear direction from Jesus Christ that applies to us no matter what our mission is.
First, this Gospel teaches us to be confident that “the harvest is abundant,” pray for laborers to bring it to fruition, and then do our own part. As dark as the world may seem, Jesus does not send His workers into a barren wasteland. The world, created good by our God, is primed to be fertilized, cultivated, and brought home. We should ask God to send the right people to do this work. Notice too that Jesus is telling those He sends out to pray for laborers. So, the invitation to pray for workers does not mean that we don’t have to participate in the harvest. As we pray for the Kingdom to grow, we can cooperate with God as He begins to answer these prayers by being a laborer ourselves.
Second, Jesus tells the seventy-two to shake the dust off their feet against those who do not accept them. These words are not an invitation to resentment or retaliation, but a reminder for all of us to not let the hard-heartedness of others keep us from continuing our mission. Christ promises His peace to us, and we must not let discouragement or failure disrupt it.
Third: “…do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” We can hear these words as if spoken directly to us. Even as we wish for clarity or miraculous signs, Jesus tells us that these gifts are not the point. The heart of our faith, and thus the heart of our mission, is to unite ourselves to Christ, crucified and risen, and to the Father in Heaven. As St. Paul says in the second reading, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
If we prioritize building up the Kingdom of God through our prayers and daily lives, then we can rest assured that we are doing what God asks, and trust that He will make us bear fruit.
Please be assured of my prayers for you before Our Lord, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.
+ Bishop Schlert
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