Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 460
Lectionary: 460
Fear not, my
people!
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
the anger of God; and she said:
“Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
because they turned from the law of God.
Fear not, my children; call out to God!
He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you
will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;
You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,
and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.
She indeed saw coming upon you
the anger of God; and she said:
“Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon my sons and daughters.
With joy I fostered them;
but with mourning and lament I let them go.
Let no one gloat over me, a widow,
bereft of many:
For the sins of my children I am left desolate,
because they turned from the law of God.
Fear not, my children; call out to God!
He who brought this upon you will remember you.
As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,
turn now ten times the more to seek him;
For he who has brought disaster upon you
will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”
R. (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!”
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
The seventy-two
disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“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.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
“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.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you,
many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
Meditation:
"Your names are written in heaven"
Do you
know and experience in your personal life the joy of the Lord? The
scriptures tell us that "the joy of the Lord is our
strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). Why does Jesus tell his disciples to
not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear
that the true source of our joy is God himself, and God alone. Regardless of
the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always
assures us of victory in Jesus Christ. Jesus assures his disciples that he has
all power over evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits or
fallen angels who conspire against us. In fact, that is why Jesus came into the
world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). We, too, as disciples of Jesus
have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of
darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).
Jesus
thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and
knowledge of God. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about God and about
ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well
as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first
origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness
and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived
from him (Ephesians 3:14-15). Jesus' prayer also contains a warning that pride
can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and
blind to the things of God? Sinful pride springs from exaggerated
self-centeredness. It closes the mind to God's truth and wisdom for our lives.
The angels fell into pride and were cast out of heaven. The virtue of humility,
the only true remedy against false pride, and which is very different from the
feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem, leads us to a true recognition of
who we are in God and of our dependence on God.
Jesus
contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The
simple of heart are like "babes" in the sense that they see purely
without pretense and acknowledge their dependence and trust in one who is
greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing – the "summum
bonum" or "greatest good" who is God himself. Simplicity of
heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines
the heart towards grace and truth. Just as pride is the root or every sin and
evil, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It
alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do
all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs
3:34, James 4:6). The grace of Christ-like humility inclines us to God and disposes
us to receive God's wisdom. Nothing can give us greater joy than the knowledge
that we are God's beloved and that our names are written in heaven. Do you seek
to be like Jesus Christ in humility and simplicity of heart?
Jesus
makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect
revelation of God. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we
can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing
something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of
Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is
the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to
personally know God as our Father. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: "God loves
each of us as if there were only one of us to love."
To see
Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a
God who cares intensely and who yearns over men and women, loving them to the
point of laying down his life for them upon the cross. Jesus is the revelation
of God – a God who loves us completely, unconditionally and perfectly. Jesus
also promises that God the Father will hear our prayers when we pray in his
name. That is why Jesus taught his followers to pray with confidence, "Our
Father who art in heaven ...give us this day our daily bread." Do you pray
to your Father in heaven with joy and confidence in his love and care for you?
"Most
High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true
faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and
knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfilment of your holy
will; through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer of Francis of Assisi,
1182-1226)
 Better Than Success |
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Saturday of the
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward
McIlmail, LC
Luke 10: 17-24
The seventy-two disciples 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." At that very moment
he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I give you praise, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the
wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father,
such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by
my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father
is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."
Turning to the disciples in private he said, "Blessed are the eyes that
see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see
what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear
it."
Introductory Prayer: Jesus, I approach you in prayer, knowing
that these are some of the most important moments of the day. This time I
spend with you helps put the rest of the day in perspective and gives me a
sense of my total dependence on you. With childlike simplicity I trust in
your loving providence. Though I am unworthy to be in your presence, I at
least want to offer you my best effort during this prayer, seeking only to
please you.
Petition: O Holy Spirit, let me see that the most
important thing in life is to reach heaven.
1. Name-dropping: The disciples marvel at the power of Jesus´
name, even before demons. Such is the great power of Christ in the world.
"There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name
under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved" (Acts
4:12). Christ, as the Messiah who came to redeem us, is in a league by
himself. Thus, all authentic devotion, be it to Mary, be it to a favorite
patron saint, only has sense insofar as it leads us to Christ. He is and
remains the best model for us. As Vatican II teaches, Christ "fully
reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear" (Gaudium
et Spes, 22). Is there anyone I put ahead of Christ in my life?
2. The Ledger: Jesus seems to shrug off the victories over
Satan. What he deems more important for his disciples is that their names are
written in heaven. Indeed, Christianity is about more than just defeating the
devil. Ours is an eminently positive faith, designed to help us grow in our
love for God and in our imitation of the virtues of Christ. As an exercise in
love, it is open-ended, always inviting us to do more for others and for
Christ. Love knows no limits, so we shouldn´t think that we "have
arrived." Do I understand that I´m called to love and to imitate Christ
till the last moment of life?
3. Model Son: Love drives Christ, specifically love for
his heavenly Father. The realization that he does his Father´s will impels
Christ to undergo hardships, tiredness, hunger and rejection. But he won´t be
deterred. As a young man in love, Christ seems to have an endless reserve of
energy for the sake of his Beloved. It is his secret source of strength, so
to speak. Thus he teaches us a deep truth of human nature. "Man cannot
live without love," wrote Pope John Paul II in his first encyclical.
"He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself; his life is
senseless, if love is not revealed to him." If ever we feel burned out
by the world, we should ask ourselves, “How much do I love others? Do I
gladly sacrifice myself for others? Do I seek the good of others first?”
Conversation with Christ: My faith is first and foremost a
relationship with you, Lord. It requires a constant response of love on my
part. Help me be generous in responding to your inspirations toward love.
Resolution: I will show thanks for my faith by doing an
extra act of charity today.
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, LUKE 10:17-24
(Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29; Psalm 69)
KEY VERSE: "For although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike" (v 21).
READING: Jesus sent out seventy disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to every town he intended to go. When they returned, they were jubilant because their mission was successful mission. They were amazed at the power that had been given to them, having witnessed the collapse of Satan's reign through their proclamation of God's kingdom. Jesus shared their joy over Satan's fall, but he told them not to rejoice that they had greater power than the evil forces. They should be glad that their "names were written in heaven" (v 20). Jesus prayed in thanksgiving to the Father for bestowing the mysteries of the kingdom on his lowly disciples. This privilege had not been given to the "wise and the learned" (v 21), but to his disciples who, like little children, were open to God's revelation in Jesus.
REFLECTING: In what ways do I help to reduce the influence of evil in the world?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to imitate your humble obedience to God's word.
Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
(Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29; Psalm 69)
KEY VERSE: "For although you have hidden these things from the wise and learned you have revealed them to the childlike" (v 21).
READING: Jesus sent out seventy disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to every town he intended to go. When they returned, they were jubilant because their mission was successful mission. They were amazed at the power that had been given to them, having witnessed the collapse of Satan's reign through their proclamation of God's kingdom. Jesus shared their joy over Satan's fall, but he told them not to rejoice that they had greater power than the evil forces. They should be glad that their "names were written in heaven" (v 20). Jesus prayed in thanksgiving to the Father for bestowing the mysteries of the kingdom on his lowly disciples. This privilege had not been given to the "wise and the learned" (v 21), but to his disciples who, like little children, were open to God's revelation in Jesus.
REFLECTING: In what ways do I help to reduce the influence of evil in the world?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to imitate your humble obedience to God's word.
Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
The Lord listens to the poor.
Today’s gospel revolves around blessings in many different forms.There is joy from the first sentence and Jesus continues to talk about joy and blessings throughout. His love of his disciples and his desire to let them know that it is not just he who loves them, but also their Father in heaven, is beautiful. This is Jesus at his most tender and caring and it is wonderful for us to be able to see him in that caring, gentle mood. It inspires us to want to help others experience this same blessing of seeing with the eyes of faith, looking at our world with new eyes and seeing the wonder inherent in every moment.
October 5
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
(1905-1938)
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
(1905-1938)
St. Maria Faustina's name is forever linked to the annual feast of
the Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter), the divine mercy
chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day by many people at 3 p.m.
Born in
what is now west-central Poland (part of Germany before World War I), Helena
was the third of 10 children. She worked as a housekeeper in three cities
before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925.
She worked as a cook, gardener and porter in three of their houses.
In
addition to carrying out her work faithfully, generously serving the needs of
the sisters and the local people, she also had a deep interior life. This
included receiving revelations from the Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded
in her diary at the request of Christ and of her confessors.
At a time
when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might
be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to
emphasize his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do
not want to punish aching mankind,” he once told St. Maria Faustina, “but I
desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588).
The two rays emanating from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and
water poured out after Jesus' death (Gospel of John 19:34)
Because
Sister Maria Faustina knew that the revelations she had already received did
not constitute holiness itself, she wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor
revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but
rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely
ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection.
My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will
of God” (Diary 1107).
Sister
Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope
John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her seven years later.
Comment:
Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”
Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”
Quote:
Four years after Faustina's beatification, Pope John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' "(Quote from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
Four years after Faustina's beatification, Pope John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' "(Quote from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
LECTIO: LUKE
10,17-24
Lectio:
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 10,17-24
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. 'Lord,' they said, 'even the devils submit to us when we use your name.'
He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you power to tread down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.'
Just at this time, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it has pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.'
Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them by themselves, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.'
3) Reflection
• Context. Previously Jesus had sent 72 disciples, now they return from their mission and they give an account of it. One can prove that the success of the mission is due to the experience of the superiority or better the supremacy of the name of Jesus in regard to the power of evil. The defeat of Satan coincides with the coming of the Kingdom: the disciples have seen it in their present mission. The diabolical forces have been weakened: the demons have submitted to the power of the name of Jesus. Such a conviction cannot be the foundation of their joy and the enthusiasm of their missionary witness; joy has its last root or origin in the fact of being known and loved by God. This does not mean that being protected by God and the relationship with him always places us in an advantageous situation in the face of the diabolical forces. Here is inserted the mediation of Jesus between God and us: “Look, I have given you power” (v. 19). The power of Jesus is one that makes us experience the success in regard to the devil’s power and he protects us. A power that can be transmitted only when Satan is defeated, Jesus has been present in the fall of Satan, even if he is not as yet definitively defeated or overcome; Christians are called to hinder, to put an obstacle to the power of Satan on earth. They are sure of the victory in spite of the fact that they live in a critical situation: they participate to obtain victory in the communion of love with Christ even though they may be tried by suffering and death. Just the same, the reason for joy is not in the certainty of coming out unharmed but of being loved by God. The expression of Jesus, “your names are written in heaven” is a witness that being present to the heart of God (memory) guarantees the continuity of our life in eternity. The success of the mission of the disciples is the consequence of the defeat of Satan, now is shown the benevolence of the Father (vv. 21-22): the success of the word of Grace in the mission of the seventy two, seen as the design of the Father and in the communion in the resurrection of the Son, is, beginning now, the revelation of the benevolence of the Father; the mission becomes a space for the revelation of God’s will in human time. Such experience is transmitted by Luke in a context of prayer: it shows on one side the reaction in heaven (“I bless you Father”, (v. 21) and that on earth (vv. 23-24).
• The prayer of rejoicing or exultation. In the prayer that Jesus addresses to the Father, guided by the action of the Spirit, it is said that “exults”, expresses the openness of the Messianic joy and proclaims the goodness of the Father. This is made evident in the little ones, in the poor and in those who have no value because they have accepted the Word transmitted by those sent and thus they have access to the relationship between the Divine Persons of the Trinity. Instead, the wise and the learned, on account that they feel sure, are gratified because of their intellectual and theological competence. But such an attitude prevents them from entering in the dynamism of salvation, given by Jesus. The teaching that Luke intends to transmit to individual believers, not less to the ecclesial communities, may be synthesized as follows: Humility opens to faith; the sufficiency of one’s assurance closes to pardon, to light, to God’s goodness. The prayer of Jesus has its effects on all those who accept to allow themselves to be wrapped up by the goodness of the Father.
4) Personal questions
• The mission to take the life of God to others implies a life style that is poor and humble. Is your life permeated by the life of God, by the Word of grace that comes from Jesus?
• Do you have trust in God’s call and in his power that asks to be manifested through simplicity, poverty and humility?
Father,
you show your almighty power
in your mercy and forgiveness.
Continue to fill us with your gifts of love.
Help us to hurry towards the eternal life your promise
and come to share in the joys of your kingdom.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Luke 10,17-24
The seventy-two came back rejoicing. 'Lord,' they said, 'even the devils submit to us when we use your name.'
He said to them, 'I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you power to tread down serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.'
Just at this time, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children. Yes, Father, for that is what it has pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.'
Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them by themselves, 'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.'
3) Reflection
• Context. Previously Jesus had sent 72 disciples, now they return from their mission and they give an account of it. One can prove that the success of the mission is due to the experience of the superiority or better the supremacy of the name of Jesus in regard to the power of evil. The defeat of Satan coincides with the coming of the Kingdom: the disciples have seen it in their present mission. The diabolical forces have been weakened: the demons have submitted to the power of the name of Jesus. Such a conviction cannot be the foundation of their joy and the enthusiasm of their missionary witness; joy has its last root or origin in the fact of being known and loved by God. This does not mean that being protected by God and the relationship with him always places us in an advantageous situation in the face of the diabolical forces. Here is inserted the mediation of Jesus between God and us: “Look, I have given you power” (v. 19). The power of Jesus is one that makes us experience the success in regard to the devil’s power and he protects us. A power that can be transmitted only when Satan is defeated, Jesus has been present in the fall of Satan, even if he is not as yet definitively defeated or overcome; Christians are called to hinder, to put an obstacle to the power of Satan on earth. They are sure of the victory in spite of the fact that they live in a critical situation: they participate to obtain victory in the communion of love with Christ even though they may be tried by suffering and death. Just the same, the reason for joy is not in the certainty of coming out unharmed but of being loved by God. The expression of Jesus, “your names are written in heaven” is a witness that being present to the heart of God (memory) guarantees the continuity of our life in eternity. The success of the mission of the disciples is the consequence of the defeat of Satan, now is shown the benevolence of the Father (vv. 21-22): the success of the word of Grace in the mission of the seventy two, seen as the design of the Father and in the communion in the resurrection of the Son, is, beginning now, the revelation of the benevolence of the Father; the mission becomes a space for the revelation of God’s will in human time. Such experience is transmitted by Luke in a context of prayer: it shows on one side the reaction in heaven (“I bless you Father”, (v. 21) and that on earth (vv. 23-24).
• The prayer of rejoicing or exultation. In the prayer that Jesus addresses to the Father, guided by the action of the Spirit, it is said that “exults”, expresses the openness of the Messianic joy and proclaims the goodness of the Father. This is made evident in the little ones, in the poor and in those who have no value because they have accepted the Word transmitted by those sent and thus they have access to the relationship between the Divine Persons of the Trinity. Instead, the wise and the learned, on account that they feel sure, are gratified because of their intellectual and theological competence. But such an attitude prevents them from entering in the dynamism of salvation, given by Jesus. The teaching that Luke intends to transmit to individual believers, not less to the ecclesial communities, may be synthesized as follows: Humility opens to faith; the sufficiency of one’s assurance closes to pardon, to light, to God’s goodness. The prayer of Jesus has its effects on all those who accept to allow themselves to be wrapped up by the goodness of the Father.
4) Personal questions
• The mission to take the life of God to others implies a life style that is poor and humble. Is your life permeated by the life of God, by the Word of grace that comes from Jesus?
• Do you have trust in God’s call and in his power that asks to be manifested through simplicity, poverty and humility?
5) Concluding Prayer
Lord, you are kind and forgiving,
rich in faithful love for all who call upon you.
Yahweh, hear my prayer,
listen to the sound of my pleading. (Ps 86,5-6)
Lord, you are kind and forgiving,
rich in faithful love for all who call upon you.
Yahweh, hear my prayer,
listen to the sound of my pleading. (Ps 86,5-6)
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