Gospel: July 6, 2025
July 6, 2025 (Sunday)
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green)
Ps 66:1-3, 4-5, 6-7, 16, & 20
Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
1st Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14c
2nd Reading: Galatians 6:14-18
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
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.’ But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for a certainty that the kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment it will be better for Sodom than for this town. The 72 disciples returned full of Joy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name.” then Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice, rather, that your names are written in heaven.
Lectio Divina:
“Servants of God’s Kingdom.”
Read: The Lord comforts his servants, giving them peace, even in adversity. The disciples are sent out in pairs by the Lord to preach the Good News of the Kingdom. They are to have courage as they face danger and rejoice that they are God’s servants.
Reflect: The disciples are given a task by the Lord to proclaim that the “kingdom of God has drawn near to you.” By word and deed, including miraculous deeds, they are to witness to the closeness of God to his people. However, there is a danger that all this could go to their head. Rather than concentrating on the task, they concentrate on themselves and the wonders they have done. This is the beginning of pride, of forgetting that God is acting through them. “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called on your name.” And so, Jesus warns them by pointing to the Fall of the Angels. The angels fell when they were no longer willing to serve God. Therefore, the focus of the disciples is to remain on the mission, rather than on themselves and their achievements, rejoicing that they are numbered among God’s servants.
Pray: Pray about being a servant of God’s Kingdom. Make an act of self-offering and dedication.
Act: Support an activity related with promoting vocations.
