Isaiah 66:10-14; Responsorial Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18;
Gospel Acclamation Colossians 3:15 & 16; Luke 10:1-12 & 17-20

1. -- Lanie LeBlanc OP -
2. -- Dennis Keller OP -
3. -- Fr. John Boll OP -
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5. --(Your reflection can be here!)

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This particular Gospel about the seventy-two disciples seems to mirror what we, today’s disciples of Jesus, often feel and do.   Bringing the Good News, hopefully with another disciple, to others often brings smiles to the givers and the receivers… and often those labels happily mesh and intertwine.   The wonderful result for all concerned rightly needs to be shared!

        Although recognition is important, we all know that the glory really belongs to God.   Sometimes things do not go as well, however.   That is when the promise of Jesus about being protected from either “the full force” or “every assault” of the Enemy is questioned.  

In my opinion, evil exists and is often rampant in our world whether up close and personal or far away.   At times, feeling as if one is on what seems to be the losing side so often is beyond discouraging.   Behind the scenes of our lives, however, God sees the beautiful side of life’s tapestry while we see the broken pieces and the tangles.   What matters in the end is that the Divine Presence initiates all goodness,  is faithful, and is still on the throne and always will be.

That perspective also matters in the here and now.   The hard part for me is keeping both times in balance.   I hope to weather any suffering now by reacting to it intentionally rather than not caring and thus ignoring it.    I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem!    

Jesus said to rejoice because our names are written in heaven.   When things are personally beyond a reasonable yet truthful reply, I often joke that “God surely knows the names of my family and others I lift up in prayer”.   The truth is that Jesus’s words are not a joke, they are the Gospel Truth!  Let us rejoice!

Blessings,

Dr. Lanie LeBlanc OP

Southern Dominican Laity

lanie@leblanc.one

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Fourteenth Sunday of Ordered Time

July 6, 2025

Isaiah 66:10-14; Responsorial Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18;
Gospel Acclamation Colossians 3:15 & 16; Luke 10:1-12 & 17-20

This is the Sunday Jesus sends seventy-two disciples to the towns he planned to visit. Some manuscripts list the number as seventy. Seventy would tie these disciples to the seventy elders chosen by Moses to teach, lead, and direct the Hebrew tribes in the wilderness. It is also the number of members in the council of the Sanhedrin who served the same purposes as the elders of Moses. A third reason for seventy is in the time of Matthew, seventy was considered the number of nations in the world. Thus, the seventy would in later ages be those sent to every nation to proclaim the good news of God’s visitation and ministry and defeat of the forces of evil.

The instructions of Jesus apply to us as well. We are more than seventy. Surveys tell us there are a billion and one quarter Catholics in the world. The growth of those following in the way of Jesus grows because of preaching, witnessing to the truth of Jesus, healing those who are spiritually ill, troubled by concerns of self-worth, by violence, by poverty, and other illnesses.

If we focus only on the mission of these disciples who were to go to the towns where Jesus was intending to visit, we miss how this gospel can be an instruction for us. Of the instructions, the mysterious instruction is the one that calls for greeting no one on the way. While this could mean not wasting time in idle conversations with other travelers, it is more to the point that these disciples were sent to Samaria. The intention seems to be to avoid conflict. The Samarians and the Jews were hostile to each other. A simple greeting could erupt into an argument which would derail the mission.

The other details are warnings to keep their visits simple, without encumbrances brought along requiring transportation for food, additional clothing, and footwear. This mission was not to be a circus with pomp and circumstance. This was not a magic show. Simply put, emphasis is on the proclamation of the Word. The consistent message is “the Kingdom of God is at hand.”

The Kingdom of God is at hand! In our time the Kingdom is still coming. It is already here but not yet completed. That Kingdom remains incomplete, unfinished. It began with the call of Abraham and Sara. It continued through Issac and Jacob. In all the events of Israel, the preparation for the Son of God/Son of man went forward. Each event, each triumph, each disaster was a preparation for the coming of the Messiah, the Anointed one. The title Son of Man comes to from the book of Daniel. With the coming of the Son of Man the Kingdom of God (Heaven) came to birth. With disciples it began to take root in the entire world. Its growth continues even now, growing through the blood of witnesses to the faith, by the everyday activities of followers of Jesus. When will the Kingdom of God be completed? We do not have the possibility of speculating about that. As long as the world and its people exist, it continues. That Kingdom rests in the hearts, minds, and activities of those who fear (respect) God. It is made up of the living stones that each of us are.

The instructions of Jesus apply to each of us who follow Him. Our preaching is to those we meet at work, at play, in leadership, in following leaders who practice the preaching of Jesus. Our focus is not the land of Samaria. It is our land and is directed to those on the margins of society. Poverty must be healed. Violence must be brought into peaceful co-existence. Ignorance must be addressed by truth and research for truth. Doubt and fear must be addressed by practicing hope and charity. The rule of the Kingdom of God is known by the love that enlivens it. Love is the commandment of the Lord. Love is not easy,

especially toward those who despise us.

In the time after Jesus churches were established. By church is meant the many, many parishes, communities of those who are called together for prayer, for worship, for sharing, for concern, and for love within the Community that binds it together as one Body. There is mutual concern for all members. Such a Community is a beacon for the lonely, the forgotten, for all women, men, and children. Any worthwhile community is a welcoming gathering. This week may our Community practice love for every member. May our Community welcome strangers, the disenfranchised, the weary, the lost and forsaken. We are disciples on a mission.

Dennis Keller Dennis@PreacherExchange.com

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Volume 2 is for you. Your thoughts, reflections, and insights on the next Sundays readings can influence the preaching you hear. Send them to preacherexchange@att.net. Deadline is Wednesday Noon. Include your Name, and Email Address.
-- Fr. John