14TH SUNDAY, 03 JULY 2022:
ISAIAH 66. 10-14c; GALATIANS 6. 14-18; LUKE 10. 1-12, 17-20
Thrust: Rejoice! But where do you find your joy?
Indicative: As the disciples of Christ, we have no reason to be excessively frightened or worried, even though many adversities may constantly surround us and try to worry us. We have every reason to rejoice
1. All the three readings of the day recurrently invite us to “rejoice and be glad”. This tone of joy is striking in the first reading from Isaiah: “Rejoice…”, “Be glad…”, “Rejoice… all you who mourn…”, “Your heart shall rejoice”. In the second reading from Galatians, Paul tells us what to “boast” about really. In the gospel too, Jesus tells his disciples, “Rejoice…”.
2. But this sounds strange and unreal. Especially in our times that abound in evil and wickedness in various forms of cruelty, selfishness, atrocities and perversions, the beauty and joy of human life is constantly threatened and reduced. There seems to be every reason to lament and grieve.
3. All the more, to live as disciples of Christ is very challenging. It is because the world which is their mission field is like a battlefield. It is a world that is not responsive and cooperative. Not only this, it is directly resistant and destructive. In Jesus’ own words, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves”. Jesus also foresees their rejection as he says, “Whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you…”
4. Another sad thing is the lack of committed labourers to work in this difficult field and reap a rich harvest. “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. Consequently, the workload also becomes heavy and the fruits of the work may not be impressive and abundant.
5. Thus, all these factors are valid reasons to be frightened and discouraged. But, despite all such saddening situations, there is every reason to rejoice and be glad. The sole reason is “God is with us”. As He did with Israel, God Himself will intervene and take our side. He will condone our sin and forgive us. He will bless and prosper us.
6. He will change sadness into gladness, discomfort into comfort, distress into peace, scarcity into abundance, and perishing into flourishing. Hear the great assuring and comforting words of God through Isaiah: “You may nurse and be satisfied…”; “You may drink deeply with delight from (her) glorious abundance”; “You shall be carried upon…”; “Your bones shall flourish like the grass”, and “the hand of the Lord shall be known to His servants”.
7. More forceful and direct and deeply personal is the elevating promise of God as He declares: “Behold, I will extend peace (to her) like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream”; “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted…”.
8. Further, in the light of the gospel, we should rejoice because the Lord does not send us empty-handed on his mission. Rather, he empowers us with his own power. He says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you”.
9. Thus, the sole reason to rejoice is God, His mission and His power. This alone is the highest rationale and no other lesser motive or interest should dominate or substitute this. That is why, St Paul clearly states, “Far be it from me to ‘boast’ except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”; “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision”.
10. Jesus too is crystal clear concerning this highest motive for our joy as he corrects his disciples. The disciples had a successful mission and come back fully excited and overjoyed. They report to their Master: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name”. Apparently, this looks reasonable and natural.
11. But, this motive is not the highest and perfect. There is certainly something imperfect and worldly. It is finding joy in the spirit of “dominating, subjugating”, though it is the evil spirits. It is joy in self-importance, self-recognition, good impressions, and self-glory. This is for sure not the purpose and objective of the mission.
12. The real end of the mission is God’s glory. It is God’s glorification through our sanctification and salvation. In other words, it is making ourselves worthy in God’s sight, making “our names written in heaven”. Jesus takes them to this higher realm, higher motive as he says, “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”.
13. And for experiencing this real and higher joy, in the light of the readings, we can delineate two important conditions: detachment-renunciation and entrustment to God-becoming a new creation. This Detachment is indicated in Jesus’ mission-imperative: “Carry no money bag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road”. A disciple of Christ does not and should not depend on these worldly securities.
14. St Paul conveys a similar message of renunciation when he says, “I boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world”. With this spirit of detachment and renunciation, the disciple would totally entrust himself to the Lord’s power and light and depend on the Lord. He would throw away the old nature and become a “new creation”.
15. St Thomas whose feast is today held fast to these simple principles of detachment and commitment, passion and fidelity. He lived intimately with the Lord, lived for him, and toiled for his mission and kingdom. Finally, he also died for the sake of his Lord
Imperative: The mission that we need to carry on is enormous; the world which is the object of this mission is pernicious. But as long as we confide in the Lord’s accompaniment, enlightenment and empowerment, we have no reason to be frightened or saddened
(REFLECTION 2 FROM 2021, SEPTEMBER 30)
Focus: We are on a mission and that is the very same mission of the Lord. In carrying out this mission, he is always with us to sustain us and guide us
1. In the first place, we need to remember that we all received a mission. Therefore, life is duty-bound and must be mission-directed. If so, a life which is not dutiful and missionary, a life which is careless and negligent to duties in life, a life which is not driven by a sense of mission but is purposeless and directionless, is a failure in its very nature and meaning.
2. Our life is a mission with a destiny. The Lord himself appoints us and sends us on duty. This missionary duty is to establish the kingdom of God. This is like cultivating a field and reaping the harvest. That is why, Jesus uses the metaphor of harvest as he says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few”. We are the labourers who have to toil in the field. This would constantly keep us as committed and assiduous labourers.
3. This mission is not any one’s self-creation or private agenda. It is the mission of the Lord himself. Our mission is nothing but a sharing in his very mission, a continuation of the same. This is to spread God’s kingdom by bearing abundant fruits of the harvest. This will guard us against our privatizing or monopolizing the God-given mission.
4. This mission is challenging and tough because we will be like lambs among wolves. The world is like the free zone of lot of wolves, always ready to pounce and harm. There are many evil forces and false values that tempt us and torment us. No doubt we need to face a lot of opposition and persecution. Jesus never assured a smooth mission without adversities. He never promised his disciples all success always. In fact, he already warns them of the possible resistance and rejection and prepares them to accept such unsuccessful situations without getting upset. It is enough that they do their duty with utmost dedication and perseverance.
5. But there is nothing to worry because the Lord himself is with us. He accompanies and sustains us unceasingly. His own power will equip us to preach and to heal. The words of Nehemiah in the first reading from Isaiah are truly the guiding and strengthening lines in their lives: “Rejoice.. and be glad…”.
6. Consequently, there is no need at all to depend on the worldly securities like “purse, bag or sandals”. It is not that we do not make use of the available resources that can help us in our mission. It only means that we should not give excessive importance to the material resources or securities, as if the whole mission depends only on them. We should not be over-dependent on them. Our primary resourcefulness and equipment is God’s own Spirit.
Direction: As disciples of Christ, we share his life and mission as well. Therefore, we are constantly urged to live as authentic disciples and work as effective apostles, equipped with his own power
(REFLECTION ON LUKE 10. 1-12 FROM 2020)
Today we are reminded that not only the missionaries by the title of their vocation are missionaries, but all of us without exception. Each one called by the Lord to follow His ways is a missionary irrespective of the walk of life. The modes of carrying out this mission may vary depending on whether one is a clergy, religious or layperson, and depending on the different ministries. But the basic and common factor is: every disciple shares the same mission of the Lord. It is to bring everyone closer to the kingdom of God and to bring God’s kingdom closer to everyone. The mission is to grow in the vicinity and intimacy, in loyalty and commitment to God’s reign. This is a strenuous task, like “lambs among wolves”. It involves risk and challenge and even failure and no worldly securities and supports like a purse, bag, etc. count. But nothing to worry. Everything is in God’s purview and He will sustain and steer everything to its destined end. The evil may threaten to devour the good like wolves devour the lambs. But we, the lambs follow the Lamb of God and have nothing to lose.
Direction: The more we surrender ourselves to Jesus, the more we will experience and exercise true freedom. Accordingly, our preaching becomes convincing when our life is convinced and committed
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