Gospel: Lk 10: 1-9
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples 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. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
THE MISSION OF CHRIST: The mission of Christ requires total commitment. Due to this, few fully respond to this mission. In the first reading, St. Paul complains how his fellow brethren left him for the mission, though, he forgives them. As Paul went on in the mission, God gave him strength so that the Good News would reach the gentiles. In the same way, Jesus has only seventy-two disciples for His mission. The gospel states that the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. Jesus orders the disciples not to carry anything for the mission but rather, rely on Him only. They are to preach peace wherever they go. Being an ambassador of peace is a great responsibility. It is such a missionary zeal that marks one as a disciple of the Lord. Let us eagerly accept this responsibility.
PRAYER: Lord, So, give us the grace to accept the responsibility to be peace instruments, and to be ushers in your Kingdom.
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THE JOY OF THE GOSPEL: Gospel of Luke reflects clearly the sentiments of joy. The Angel greeted Mary saying “rejoice!”; the visit of Mary made John the Baptist to leap with joy in the womb of Elizabeth and Mary in return proclaimed with joy the greatness of the Lord. The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy after being sent by Jesus to announce the good news; Jesus filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit thanked the Father; after the resurrection the Apostles returned to Jerusalem full of joy. “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus,” affirmed Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. Sadness is incompatible with the Gospel. Joy is a sign of faith. Jesus is the reason for our joy. We are called to be witnesses of Christian joy to the world.
DAILY GOSPEL 