First reading Isaiah 66:10-14
Towards Jerusalem I send flowing peace, like a river
Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
Responsorial Psalm 65(66):1-7,16,20
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth.
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!
‘Before you all the earth shall bow;
shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
tremendous his deeds among men.
He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him;
he rules for ever by his might.
.
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul:
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
nor withhold his love from me.
Second reading Galatians 6:14-18
The marks on my body are those of Jesus
The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.
I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.
Gospel Luke 10:1-12,17-20
Your peace will rest on that man
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road.
‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.
‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’
____________________________________________________
To be labourers in God’s mission field
We often think that the work of mission has been tasked to selected
people, such as religious and priests. In fact, it is the responsibility of
every baptized Catholic to bring the good news to others. We all have a
part to play in proclaiming to others the message that “the Kingdom of
God is very near to you”, i.e. “the presence of God is very near to you”.
We communicate it by creating communion with others, speaking words
of peace, reaching out to offer forgiveness, working for justice, etc. We
manifest God’s loving presence to all, especially those who are the
weakest and most vulnerable. As pointed out by Jesus in the gospel,
there will be moments when people do not welcome the good news we
bring. However, we must not be disappointed by the people’s negative
responses. Instead, we continue to be faithful to Jesus’s mission to us.
people, such as religious and priests. In fact, it is the responsibility of
every baptized Catholic to bring the good news to others. We all have a
part to play in proclaiming to others the message that “the Kingdom of
God is very near to you”, i.e. “the presence of God is very near to you”.
We communicate it by creating communion with others, speaking words
of peace, reaching out to offer forgiveness, working for justice, etc. We
manifest God’s loving presence to all, especially those who are the
weakest and most vulnerable. As pointed out by Jesus in the gospel,
there will be moments when people do not welcome the good news we
bring. However, we must not be disappointed by the people’s negative
responses. Instead, we continue to be faithful to Jesus’s mission to us.
“…rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven”. The cause of
our joy is not based on how successful we are in living the mission but
our joy is not based on how successful we are in living the mission but
on the reality that our names are written in heaven, in God’s heart
because we are His beloved children, His trusted friends.
because we are His beloved children, His trusted friends.
Question for reflection:
How can I take an active part in proclaiming the good news to others?
How can I take an active part in proclaiming the good news to others?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
