LECTIONARY READINGS
First reading: Isaiah 66:10-14
Responsorial psalm: Ps 65(66):1-7, 16, 20
Second reading: Galatians 6:14-18
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
Link to readings
We notice how the readings of this Sunday’s liturgy resound with joy and peace. The Opening Prayer, the First Reading and the Psalm all speak of this joy, which has been with us in the liturgy throughout Eastertide, and now overflows here into Ordinary Time. It is the joy that the disciples experience when they see the Risen Christ. It is the joy that Christians experience when we celebrate the Eucharist.
The First Reading speaks of peace flowing ‘like a river’; a peace that also accompanies the disciples in the Gospel as they travel through the different towns, curing the sick and announcing the Good News. The Psalm encourages us to ‘cry out with joy’, and echoes the rejoicing we see in the other readings. Though Paul does not mention joy in the Second Reading, he reflects on the peace and mercy experienced by those who are part of ‘the new creation’.
As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year, we pray especially for all who, like the disciples, take the joy of the Good News to people who have yet to meet Christ. We also pray for those who cannot find joy and peace in their life.
PSALM 65 (66)
R./ Cry out with joy to God all the earth
Cry out with joy to God all the earth,
O sing the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise.
Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!’
‘Before you all the earth shall bow down;
Shall sing to you, sing to your name!’
Come and see the works of God,
Tremendous his deeds among the children of Adam.
He turned the sea into dry land,
They passed through the river on foot.
Let our joy, then, be in him;
He rules for ever by his might.
Come and hear, all who fear God.
I will tell what he did for my soul.
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer
Nor withhold from me his merciful love.
REFLECTION
When I have found enough inner quiet in the way that works best for me, I read the psalm slowly, perhaps on my breath, letting the joy of the words touch me. Looking at my life so far, I ponder the ’tremendous deeds’ the Lord has done for me, and give thanks for these blessings.
I may be drawn to consider the Israelites crossing the Red Sea on foot. God was with them then, supporting and comforting them. Maybe I can find instances in my own life when I now realise he was with me, too, even if I did not fully recognise it at the time. I share with the Lord how grateful I am for his presence.
But it may be that I am not feeling joyful; my life may be hard just now. If I find it difficult to ‘Cry out with joy to God’, perhaps I can simply rest in the knowledge that God does not reject my prayer, nor withhold his love from me.
When the time comes to bring my prayer to a close, I thank the Lord for being with me. I tell him how much his support and love mean to me, and how this encourages me to tell others about him.
GOSPEL
Luke 10: 1–12.17–20 (part)
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace be to this house!” And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the labourer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you”.’
REFLECTION
I settle down to pray. If I can, I go to my favourite place. I become still. I want and I choose to give this time to God. I read this extract from Luke’s gospel, perhaps several times. Perhaps I imagine being one of the 72 disciples sent ahead to pave the way for Jesus’s visit. What do I find most challenging in the instructions the Lord gives to them . . . gives to me?
How do I feel about needing to give up being in charge of my own possessions; of who I speak to; of what I have to eat? If I find myself apprehensive or uncertain, I may want to ask the Lord for the desire to come and labour with him. Although he sends me ahead of him, I know he is with me all the same.
I reflect on the opportunities I have in my life to travel . . . perhaps for work, to visit family and friends, or to relax on holiday. How do I take up Jesus’ challenge and bring Good News to the people I meet, especially those who seem lost or who are looking for meaning in their life? In what ways do I bring his peace to the ‘houses’ I visit?
I ask the Lord to be with me at all times, in both friendly and hostile territory. When the time comes, I close my prayer thanking him in my own words and assuring him of wish to help build his Kingdom.
Courtesy of St Beuno’s Outreach in the Diocese of Wrexham, UK