Direct All Your Energy In Seeking For Peace & Mercy

The theme of peace is pre-eminent in all the readings of the today. In the First reading, God promised to spread peace and prosperity over Jerusalem like a river.

In the Second reading, Paul exhorts us to eschew divisions and rivalry, and direct all our energy in seeking for peace and mercy.

Similarly, in the Gospel, Christ sends out the seventy-two disciples to preach peace to the world.

In contrast to chapter nine of Luke’s Gospel, where Christ sent out the 12 Apostles – representing the missionary mandate of the clergy and ordained ministers (Ministerial Priesthood); in Chapter 10 of today’s Gospel, Jesus sent out 72 disciples, representing the missionary mandate of the faithful and non-ordained ministers (Common Priesthood of the faithful).

Direct All Your Energy In Seeking For Peace & Mercy

This implies that the ministry of evangelization is not the exclusive preserve of ordained ministers, but our collective responsibility as people of God.

He equally instructed his disciples to travel light and do away with earthly entanglements. Since Christ has given us the missionary mandate of bringing peace to the world both as ordained and non-ordained ministers, may we ask him for the grace to be detached from materialism and other mundane preoccupations that may distract us from fulfilling this missionary mandate; and may he also enable us to be harbingers of peace in our families, in our workplaces, our schools and our entire communities.
Happy Sunday in advance. FR.CY