The Holy Gospel according to Luke (10:1-9).
The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two other 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 his 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 Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection: Today’s Gospel is from the Memorial for St. Cyril, Monk, and St. Methodius, Bishop. Several years ago, when I was discerning God’s call for me to the diaconate, I heard this Gospel proclaimed at a Sunday mass. When I heard Jesus words, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few…”, they pierced my heart. As St. Paul said, “Indeed, the Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflection and thoughts of the heart.” Jesus’s words penetrated me. This was another instance of God speaking to me through the Scriptures and calling me to serve the Church as a deacon. God was calling me to evangelize and be a laborer in His kingdom. This was my mission, and our mission as a baptized Catholic Christians. After more prayer and discernment, I was accepted to begin diaconate formation and was ordained in June 2010.
This Gospel is also about challenging us to examine what “stuff” we are carrying that keep us from fully living our mission. That “stuff” can be our fears, distractions, obstacles or burdens we may carry. We are called to leave those things behind and trust and have faith in Jesus. We are called to tells others about the mercy and peace of Christ and to build up the kingdom of God here and now.
St. Cyril and St. Methodius were brothers born in Greece. Both were theologians and became missionaries to what is now Ukraine and Moravia. Saints Cyril and Methodius, the co-patrons of Europe, are symbols of cultural dialogue between Eastern and Western Christianity. They are considered to be the two most influential missionaries, having played a principal role in introducing Christianity and developing culture in Slavic countries.
Action for the Day: Evangelization is not just for priests, deacons and religious. It is the mission of every baptized Catholic Christian. Pray for the grace to help identify those things that keep us from living out our mission of evangelizing others. Then, pray for the grace to go out and tell the Good News and build up the kingdom of God.
Audio Reflection:
Thank you. God bless. I look forward to Fridays and your reflections.