14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year II)

Community Word:
We are called to be laborers in God’s Kingdom to produce abundant harvest.

Theme:    We produce abundant harvest when we rejoice doing mission work.

Promise:    “…your heart shall rejoice…the Lord’s power shall be known to his servants.”
(Is 66:14)

Reflection:

“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few”(Lk 10:2a).The gospel of Luke tells us how the Lord appoints 72 disciples and sends them out in pairs to preach the Good News with instructions, upon entering a house, to greet the people with: “Peace to this household” (Lk 10:5).  The greeting of peace is not just an ordinary greeting, but a sharing of God’s gift of peace, joy, and well-being.  Those who accept it, receive salvation from Christ and the gift of peace – the fullness of life in harmony with God and with one another, and mercy for “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Lk 10:11).  Peace is God’s grace, protection, and blessing for His people.  It is the source and reason for our sense of well-being.

As disciples of Christ, we too are being sent out to the various places Jesus wants us to visit.  He gives us similar instructions – what to say, what to do. He cautions us to travel light, unburdened by unnecessary clutter and attachments, and not to be overly concerned with our physical comfort.  Our priorities must be the things of God.  Like the original 72, we too are sent as Christ’s representatives, not as mere listeners or recipients of the word, but as messengers and instruments to the places and situations in which we find ourselves.  It is our perseverance and faithfulness that prepares the way for Christ. Our mission is to preach His kingdom with love and service, assured that as we do, He will provide all our needs, and protect and sustain us along the way.

To remain focused on our mission, we need to simplify our lives.  Disordered attachments, especially to material possessions which cannot ensure happiness, are obstacles on our path.  The Lord calls us to simplify our lives not only materially, but spiritually, so as not to complicate our mission which, when we try to do too much, tends to get tied up in many issues, we often end up accomplishing little because the activity, rather than the objective, becomes our focus.

We are likened to lambs (which are helpless animals) sent out among wolves who prey on sheep.  We are advised to depend solely on God’s grace to provide for our mission and to help us overcome difficulties we may encounter along the way.  For this reason, we must put our trust in God and not on material things or money, or our own talents and skills as we go about our mission work.  Like lambs, we are to remain simple, gentle and docile, not overbearing or threatening to those who do not respond positively to our mission.  No!  The way forward is through gentleness, caring and quiet, steady work and good example.

The moment we profess being Christians, our behavior should speak for us.  It becomes our witness.  If we practice what we preach, if we are honest, dependable, generous, even-tempered, understanding, ever ready to lend a hand, and faithful to our word – then those we preach to will have reason to believe that indeed, God’s kingdom is not far from them, since God is already ruling our lives.  Many disciples who join the Catholic Lay Evangelization (CLAYE) program of our community experience reward and self-fulfillment in the power of God’s spoken word, and testify how, in sharing the Gospel to a non-believer, they are able to discern abrupt changes in the person’s perspective of God, not because of the eloquence of the evangelizer’s testimony, but because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

As missionaries of the Lord, we are effective and successful only when we rely on His goodness and power.  Then, fulfillment and joy will fill our hearts as in Isaiah 66:14, “Your heart shall rejoice… the Lord’s power shall be known to His servants.”

Prayer:
Father in heaven, you have given each of us in this community a special responsibility to go out into the mission field.  You are our help as we stand committed to the mission set before us.  Grant us the courage, strength and power for the mission to which you send us. May we be meek as lambs, submissive and obedient, always dependent upon our ever-living, all-powerful God for all our needs that we may work in your vineyard, filled with the fire of your love, willing to give of ourselves generously to build up your kingdom on earth.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:
1.How am I spreading the Good News of salvation in the way the Lord calls me?

2.How open am I to the instructions and disciplines of the Lord as I go out in mission?

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:

July 3, 2016 (Sun)    Is 66:10-14/Ps 66:1-3,4-5,6-7,16,20/Gal 6:14-18/Lk 10:1-12,17-20
July 4, 2016 (Mon)    Hos 2:16,17-18,21-22/Ps 145:2-3,4-5,6-7,8-9/Mt 9:18-26
July 5, 2016 (Tue)    Hos 8:4-7,11-13/Ps 115:3-4,5-6,7-8,9-10/Mt 9:32-38
July 6, 2016 (Wed)      Hos 10:1-3,7-8,12/Ps 105:2-3,4-5,6-7/Mt 10:1-7
July 7, 2016 (Thu)      Hos 11:1,3-4,8-9/Ps 80:2,3,15-16/Mt 10:7-15
July 8, 2016 (Fri)      Hos 14:2-10/Ps 51:3-4,8-9,12-13,14,17/Mt 10:16-23
July 9, 2016 (Sat)      Is 6:1-8/Ps 93:1,1-2,5/Mt 10:24-33

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

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