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Gospel: Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
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 is at hand for you.’
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 is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
***
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A young girl was walking with her father along a beach the morning after a terrible storm blew through, leaving thousands of starfish strewn across the sand.
Suddenly, the girl let go of her father’s hand, walked to the water’s edge and began tossing the starfish back into the sea, one by one.
After several minutes, the father walked over to her and said, “Okay, sweetie, it’s time to go home.”
“But Dad,” she said, “all of these starfish will die if we leave them here in the sun!”
“You can’t save them all,” he said. “Saving a few more won’t make much of a difference.”
The girl, looking disheartened, stood still for a moment, staring down at the sand. Then she bent over, picked up one more starfish and tossed it back into the sea.
“Well, Dad,” she said, “for that one I just made ALL the difference!”
***
In today’s Gospel, the Lord sends out seventy-two of his disciples to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons. It’s a tall task, which the Lord seems to make even more challenging as he instructs them:
“Carry no money bag, no sack, and no sandals.”
One would think Jesus would be eager to set his disciples up for success. So, why would he send them out barefoot and penniless?
Jesus is building upon a Jewish tradition, which the disciples would’ve understood.
In ancient Israel, it was customary for a person to part with all of their possessions – everything from their money bag to their shoes – prior to entering the Temple to pray.
Physically and spiritually, pilgrims were compelled to leave their worldly possessions and concerns at the door before addressing God, who always comes first. After leaving the Temple, a person would reclaim their belongings, returning to the world.
***
By instructing his disciples to part with their money bag, sack, and sandals, Jesus is teaching his disciples to regard the entire world as the Temple.
And so, the 72 are sent out on mission. Every soul they encounter is fertile ground, a potential dwelling place for God. While in ministry, they will experience firsthand the truth of Christ’s words: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.”
This word, “harvest,” implies the crop is ready; it’s time to act. If the disciples wait until they feel ready, or until they have every question answered, then some of the crop – some souls – will be lost.
They must act now. They must do something. Anything. The harvest awaits!
When the 72 return, they rejoice having discovered, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” They begin to understand they are Christ’s presence in the world.
***
God yearns for us to feel that same sense of urgency today. Every soul is a potential dwelling place for God; the harvest is abundant. And we, the ones already gifted with faith, are the laborers.
As Saint Catherine of Siena once wrote, “Christ has no body now, but yours. No hands, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he sees, the hands with which he blesses. Christ has no body now but yours.”
This begs the question: “What role are we playing in reaping the harvest?”
***
Perhaps more than we might imagine. Allow me to offer a few examples from within our parish.
I think of some of our high school students who decided to give back, voluntarily offering four days of their summer to serve as aides and role models in our faith formation program this week.
I think of those who bring Communion to our brothers and sisters at Sunrise Assisted Living every Sunday.
I think of an elderly woman who attends daily Mass once a week. She brings the bulletin back for other residents in her complex who are homebound – and with the bulletin, a visit.
I think of the volunteers who’ve stepped forward to dig into parish-wide strategic plan, not only addressing the needs of our youth, but “all generations.”
I think of the two-hundred other volunteers who contribute in some way to the life and liturgy of our parish.
Together, we are reaping the harvest, each in our own way.
***
Think of that little girl standing on the shore with her father. Picking up a single starfish, she tossed it back into the sea and said:
“Dad, for that one I just made ALL the difference.”
As we adopt this attitude, the harvest becomes increasingly manageable.
Together, we can make a difference – not for one, but for all.
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Image credits: (1) Vacation on Marco (2) Art Station (3) StockCake
