A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke 10:1-12
(Glory to you, O 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.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day
than for that town.”
The Gospel of the Lord (Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!).
Reflection: The Kingdom of God is at hand
Today we celebrate the feast of Therese of Lisieux, saint and doctor of the Church. A very humble but determined soul who sought holiness in the little ways, even as a person with frail health. Therese persevered, seeking to emulate the ways of holiness of all the saints that came before her, through her words, thoughts and actions, seeking to be a true disciple of our Lord Jesus.
We are also called to seek and emulate the ways of holiness of the saints, as we heard in today’s gospel reading about the 36 pairs of disciples who were sent out by our Lord Jesus to heal the sick, to share the peace of Christ, and to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand. What does it mean to say “The kingdom of God is at hand”?
It means that the kingdom of God is here and now… guided by our savior, Lord, creator, and King, our Lord Jesus, the Son of our everlasting Father! And we are called to respond and share about this good news… about the holiness, love and mercy of our King.
God is actively leading all the faithful… working through the presence of the visible and invisible holiness of His Spirit working through all the faithful followers, with the Angels and Saints of our Lord Jesus.
Through the “church militant”, the faithful followers of God living among us in the world, who accompany all peoples and one another as well to respond to the daily promptings to holiness by the Holy Spirit, to share the good news of God’s love and mercy for all mankind, defending the ways of justice and righteousness, helping all those who are in need with the blessings and gifts we have received, wherever possible, guided by the compassion of God.
Then there is the “church suffering”, the faithful followers who are going through a time of purification prior to entering the eternal presence of God. And finally, the “church triumphant”, our brothers and sisters who are now reunited with God in paradise, … continuing to pray for us daily, cheering us on … right in the holy presence of God accompanied by all the angels in saints.
Brothers and sisters! The daily battle for holiness is real, and one day… the goodness of God will triumph over all evil, as all the faithful of the church accompanied by the angels engage in daily battle to save souls, … souls who need healing, … souls who need someone to listen to them, to see to their needs, to accompany them for the rest of our earthly journeys, …responding daily to the guidance of the Holy Spirit… to reveal the truth about our loving and merciful God, who prepares a place for us in Paradise … the holy place that awaits all the faithful with the eventual triumphant return of our Lord Jesus!
The kingdom of God is at hand! Pray to God daily to grant us the grace to discern the daily call and gentle promptings of His Holy Spirit as He guides us on how to accompany one another, how to love one another, how to share God’s mercy, and how to lead and gather everyone to the kingdom of our Lord Jesus!
Action for the Day:
In silent prayer, share all our appreciation and gratitude to God for the new day. Then humbly ask our Lord how we can serve him. Lord Jesus, we are yours, everything we have is from you. How can we make a difference today to serve you fully … guided by your love? Guide us by your Spirit to listen to better to our brothers and sisters, and to share about how you and your ways of mercy. Guide us on how we can gather everyone to your kingdom.
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