72 Disciples

Today our Lord is sending us ahead of him. That’s the reason why we are here on earth. We are here for a purpose. We didn’t choose to be here. He chose us before the beginning of the world. This is our time here. We only have few years to go. Let us take advantage of the time we have and don’t get distracted or side tracked. Last week Jesus told us to follow him. Now he tells us: Go! His command is imperative. We need to discover what he wants us to do. We need to discover our mission mainly through prayer, but we need to be open to other suggestions, not to be afraid of what he is going to tell us. Our main purpose for us here is to find our way to heaven and bring with us the people God has placed close to us. We cannot leave anybody behind.

Jesus, aside from sending us ahead of him, also gives us some instructions on our way. Firstly, very important: pray. “The harvest is plentiful but the labourers are few; so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers for his harvest.” There is plenty of work in the harvest of the Lord. There are always jobs to be done; no unemployment. The salary is very high: 100% and eternal life. God knows that there is a scarcity of hands on the plough. It is his problem, not ours. We shouldn’t worry. All we need to do is pray. It is as simple as that. Secondly: things are going to be difficult. “I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” It is a great comparison. Sometimes we feel like this. He is telling us that he knows that the environment is not Christian, but he is with us. It is not going to be easy, but we have his power. God is with us in spite of everything. Sometimes it is as if the devil is winning.

The third one is very wise: travel light. “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” Don’t let things slow you down. People walking the Camino to Santiago learn that you don’t need to take many things with you. Society is trying to create more necessities for us, to get us to spend more and to bog us down with inessentials. Whatever you buy you need to carry with you. Eventually you will be stuck on the road. The fourth instruction gives us a sense of urgency. “And greet no one along the way.” But Jesus, I have a friend in this village, I want to say hello. You cannot. But if he finds out I went through his town, I’ll be in big trouble. No way. Why? There is no time. We only have few years to go. We need to get rid of whatever is distracting us from God, whatever is separating us from others.

The 72 came back full of joy and enthusiasm: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” The power of God. If we are good instruments in his hands we will be amazed at his grace. But Jesus tried to redirect their energy towards what it is important: “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” There are two books in eternity: the book of good deeds and the book of bad deeds. We need to make sure our names are written in the right one. Heaven is what matters.

If Jesus had 72 true disciples here on earth now, he could change the world again. We can be one of them. It is up to us. Mary, Queen of the apostles, our Queen and Mother, helps us to decide accordingly.

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