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| “The Disciples sent Two by Two” by James Tissot, 1886-96 |
(Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in
Ordinary Time)
Reading 1: Job
19:21-27
Job said:
Pity me, pity me, O you my
friends,
for the hand of God has
struck me!
Why do you hound me as though
you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?
Oh, would that my words were
written down!
Would that they were
inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and
with lead
they were cut in the rock
forever!
But as for me, I know that my
Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last
stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another's,
shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see
God;
my inmost being is consumed
with longing.
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Commentary on Jb
19:21-27
These familiar verses (“I know that my vindicator (redeemer) lives…”) are taken from Job’s fifth response. Job is now utterly deserted. His
family, neighbors, and even (apparently) God has deserted him. Yet, in a leap
of faith, he expresses hope in the vision of God who will vindicate him and
confidence that he will one day meet him, face to face. It is this salvation
and consolation that Job desires above all else.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things
of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my
call;
have pity on me, and answer
me.
Of you my heart speaks; you
my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the
Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I
seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your
servant.
You are my helper: cast me
not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the
Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see
the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with
courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for
the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the
Lord in the land of the living.
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Commentary on Ps
27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14
Psalm 27 is an individual lament. Here the signer
calls to the Lord, imploring Him to hear the desperate prayer. The psalmist
expresses faith in God who is the refuge of the faithful, longing to find the
ultimate safety and bounty of God’s heavenly kingdom.
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Gospel: Luke
10:1-12
Jesus appointed seventy-two
other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in
pairs
to every town and place he
intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant
but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the
harvest
to send out laborers for his
harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like
lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack,
no sandals;
and greet no one along the
way.
Into whatever house you
enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives
there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to
you.
Stay in the same house and
eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his
payment.
Do not move about from one
house to another.
Whatever town you enter and
they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say
to them,
'The Kingdom of God
Whatever town you enter and
they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and
say,
'The dust of your town that
clings to our feet,
even that we shake off
against you.'
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for
Sodom
than for that town."
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Commentary on Lk
10:1-12
It is only in the Gospel of St. Luke
that we hear the story of Jesus sending the seventy (two). This event is
supported by other non-biblical writings (see Eusebius
of Caesarea (c. 265-c. 340) Church History, Vol. 1). The instructions given to those sent out are very similar to the
instructions given to the Twelve (Matthew 10:5-16; Luke 9:1-6), as was the message they were sent
to proclaim.
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Reflection:
Standing up for Gospel
principles has never been easy. Those of us who believe that because this is a
civilized world it is getting easier are in for a rude awakening the first time
we challenge the social status quo. Try taking the high moral ground at work
when the discussions get a bit “off color” and sexual innuendo starts to fly.
You will find yourself like the bad comedian who lays an egg on stage and hears
crickets chirping. In countries of the Middle East proclaiming the Gospel can
get you killed, our own troops, there to defend the lives of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Lord tells the seventy
two that he is sending them “like lambs among wolves”. That descriptor infers
an attitude as well as a message. The message the Lord sent, and is sending, is
one of love for God and love of one another. That message is not welcomed by
those who seek power over others; who are focused only on their own hedonistic
pleasures. They find such talk threatening to their life styles and critical of
their behaviors (at least we hope so).
They will not thank us for
our message, conveyed in word and actions. On the contrary they will, at best,
shun us or at worst seek to do us harm; remove the irritant. Our response to
this treatment is to love them! Like little children (thank you St. Thèrése) we
are called to reach out to them asking they why they cannot see the love God
wants to share with them. As vulnerable and powerless apostles we offer the
greatest prize imaginable. And when it is rejected, we offer it again.
Ah, the Lord did not give us
an easy mission. He calls us to be a light to the world and a beacon of hope.
We pray today for the strength to accept the small measure of pain he endured
for us so that we might continue the work he sends us to do.
Pax
[2]
The picture is “The Disciples sent Two by Two” by James Tissot, 1886-96
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible with the exception of the
Psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
re-publication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
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