14th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 25

14TH SUNDAY, 06 JULY 2025: 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 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. 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 are 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. 4. Not only this, but it is also directly resistant and destructive. In Jesus’ own words, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs amid wolves”. Jesus also foresees their rejection as he says, “Whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you…” 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. 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”. 8. 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…”. 9. 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 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”. 10. 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 for 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”. 11. Jesus, too, is crystal clear concerning this highest motive for our joy as he corrects his disciples. The disciples had a successful mission and came back fully excited and overjoyed. They report to their Master: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name”. This looks reasonable and natural. 12. 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. 13. 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”. 14. 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. 15. 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 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”. 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