*THEME: WE ARE GOD’S MESSENGERS
R1: Isaiah 66:10-14,
R2: Galatians 6:14-18,
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12,17-20_
The Israelites are considered the chosen people of God. They entered into a special relationship with Him, and promised to be His people while He will be their God. When they repeatedly refused to keep to the words of the covenant, God abandoned them. They suffered gravely in absence of God in their lives and this made them cry to the Lord. In today’s First Reading, God heard their cry and sent them the message of consolation through the prophet Isaiah. The prophet invites them to rejoice since God has heard their cry. He told them that even though they may be facing difficult moments now, in a very short time their mourning will be over since God will embrace them and feed them as a mother suckles her child.
This message of Isaiah today extends to all Christians. We have chosen to enter into a relationship with God through our profession of faith in His Son. This makes us special in His sight. However, just like the Israelites many times we are thrown into serious life challenging situations that may shake our faith. Today we are being encouraged to remain faithful to His commandments, believing that even though we may be experiencing challenging situations and a wild spread of evil, in a short time His promise will come to fulfilment and a better world in His kingdom will be our heritage. This message must be dispensed to all Christians especially to those who have lost hope.
St Paul in the Second Reading, reemphasizes this need to be the voice of the voiceless and givers of hope to the hopeless as he spoke for the Galatians who were place under the burden of law; to undergo circumcision before becoming Christians as an outward appearance of their belongingness. St Paul boats of the cross of Jesus as his only outward appearance and encourages every Christian to make boast of the Cross as their only outward appearance they possess. The cross of Christ is a symbol of sacrificial love; this should remain what we should hold on to as concrete example of our followership. It should inspire us to love just as Christ did.
To demonstrate that this call is not just for the ordained, the Gospel Reading uses wonderful images that show the universality of this call and how we are to go about it. Jesus appoints seven two (72) others, sending them ahead of the towns where he himself was to visit (Lk 10:1). The number seventy has is a symbolic biblical implication of completeness in the Jewish setting (Genesis 10). By appointing seventy two others, Jesus is not limiting the proclamation of the Gospel to the old Jewish elders’ setting rather to all his followers all over the world.
All Christians must bear in mind that we have a duty preparing the minds of others for the coming of Christ. We are to let them know that it is through Christ that we shall have salvation. Upon the possession of salvation, there will be an end to the many challenges we face and the evil in the world. Anyone who will go for this mission must:
(i) Belong to the community of God’s people; you cannot do it alone by yourself (He sent them in pairs).
(ii) Be prepared to face the dangerous wolves who are the enemies of God and who will want to oppose your effort (Sheep in the midst of wolves).
(iii) Bear in mind that the mission not for any personal gain but for God (carry no purse, no harversack) .
(iv) Due the urgency of the message, avoid every form of distraction by not stopping to salute anyone on the way (salute no one on the way).
(v) Even when you meet people whose ways are ungodly, do not begin to abuse them, your greetings should rather be, ‘Peace be with you’ (whoever you meet let your first words be peace be with you).
(vi) Be charitable, helping those who are in need(heal the sick).
(vii) Don’t fight them if they refuse to believe rather leave in peace without carrying anything away from that town including the dust from under your foot (shake off the dust under your foot).
Jesus expects that these approaches will lead to conversion of the world which will even shock the devil. This is the power every Christian has been given. Should we put these to practise then we shall see that there will be a harmonious world without anyone having to fight another.
*Rev Fr. Chukwuemeka VINCENT Livinus, SMMM*
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