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Gospel Reading for July 06, 2025 – Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20
STAND IN AWE
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.”
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Being successful in the mission is not a reason to be rejoicing, but rather an opportunity to STAND IN AWE of God who makes everything possible, and who can never be overpowered by the demons. Rather than rejoice, success in the mission is a reason to be grateful to God for using us as his instrument, unworthy though we are.
When we are called and are sent by God, we have to bear in mind, that all powers and gifts we might possess, including making the demons subject to us, is not something we can be proud of, because they all come from God and are given to fulfill the mission to which he sends us.
As Jesus says, it is having our names written in heaven that should be the reason for us to rejoice.
Yes, Lord, may we always be your humble servants as we work in the harvest,!
