Gospel: October 18, 2024
28th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Proper / (Red)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145: 10-11, 12-13, 17-18
You friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
1st Reading: 2 Timothy 4: 10-17b
You must know, that Demas has deserted me, for the love of this world: he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos’ house, and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander, the metalworker, has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him, for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.
At my first hearing in court, no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the word fully, and let all the pagans hear it.
Gospel: Luke 10: 1-9
After this, the Lord appointed 72 other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of him, to 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 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.’
Reflection:
“Channels of God’s blessings.”
Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus as he sends his 72 disciples into mission. Part of the missionary instructions given by Jesus was to set off without purse, bags or sandals. These things become a symbol which may seem important as one embarks on a journey. However, for a missionary, these things may even become a hindrance in traveling light. Purse and bags may represent something in our life, which are not really essential, yet we find them to be very difficult to give up. The sandals may represent things in our life, which when not used properly, may become the stumbling block that prevents us to reach out to others.
The set of instructions given by Jesus to his 72 disciples primarily aimed at the good of other people. The nearness of the kingdom of God, which the disciples proclaimed, is measured by how other-oriented they had already become. The 72 disciples were sent to become channels of God’s blessings, and instruments of his peace and healing to the people during that time. We continue carrying out this mission today.
