Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Lk 10: 1-12
October 5, 2023 | Tuesday
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of him, o every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without a purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.
When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’
But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for a certainty that the kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment will be better for Sodom than for this town.
Today’s Reflection:
After presenting the demands of discipleship, Jesus sent 72 of His disciples, like the Twelve, to heal the sick and proclaim the Kingdom of God. The sending began with a call to prayer because the mission would not be easy. It would need more disciples because the harvest is plentiful. The disciples would also suffer rejection and be vulnerable to many dangers. The urgency of the mission would demand that they travel light with only God as their provision and security. Despite the many difficulties, God’s message would still reach many people. So the Lord exclaimed: “Courage!”
We receive the same urgency and danger in our mission. “Courage!”, the Lord says. We also need to remember that our only surety is God. He who has called and sent us will keep us from danger. Courage! God is with us./Vulnerasti, 2023.
