First reading Job 19:21-27
My Avenger lives and will set me close to him when I awake
Job said:
Pity me, pity me, you, my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me.
Why do you hound me down like God,
will you never have enough of my flesh?
Ah, would that these words of mine were written down,
inscribed on some monument
with iron chisel and engraving tool,
cut into the rock for ever.
This I know: that my Avenger lives,
and he, the Last, will take his stand on earth.
After my awaking, he will set me close to him,
and from my flesh I shall look on God.
He whom I shall see will take my part:
these eyes will gaze on him and find him not aloof.
Responsorial Psalm 26(27):7-9,13-14
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
‘Seek his face.’
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in the Lord!
I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Gospel Luke 10:1-12
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.’
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The urgency of the mission
As Jesus travelled from town to town, preaching the Good News, He noticed the people’s thirst for words of truth, hope, and direction in life. He could not help but urge His disciples to be part of His mission. But first, Jesus asked them to pray to the owner of the harvest. He reminded them to be aware that the people they would encounter belonged to God, and thus, He would be the one who would touch their lives.
Today, what do we observe across the streets of our city? What do we notice in our surroundings and among the people we relate to daily? Aren’t many of them in need of words of comfort and hope? Jesus sends us to them, just as He sent the seventy-two disciples. However, He also reminds us to acknowledge that God is the owner of the harvest, to pray to Him for the people, and to be aware of who is sending us. We go in Jesus’ name, bringing His peace and love to those we encounter along the way.
Reflective question:
To whom can I bring words of peace and hope today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
