REFLECTIONS TODAY
The appointment of the 72 others, given the same mission of the Twelve (apostles), is reminiscent of the appointment of 70 elders to assist Moses in leading and guiding the Israelites: “Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, he bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to rest on them, they prophesied” (Nm 11:25). In the Gospel story that is special to him, Luke may allude to the apostles and evangelizers outside the Twelve who labored to spread the Gospel. This is true of Paul and his circle of collaborators, which includes Luke whose feast we celebrate today.
Pope Francis speaks of the duty of each one to participate in the mission of proclaiming and witnessing to the Good News of salvation. He writes: “In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization... Every Christian is a missionary to the extent that he or she has encountered the love of God in Christ Jesus: we no longer say that we are ‘disciples’ and ‘missionaries’, but rather that we are always ‘missionary disciples’ ” (Evangelii Gaudium, 120).
GOSPEL • Lk 10:1-9
The Lord Jesus 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 payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ ”
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.