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At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent
ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
Luke 10:1
Jesus had many followers who were deeply devoted to Him, abandoning
everything to serve Him and to cooperate in the fulfillment of His
mission. Oftentimes we give most of our attention to the Twelve
Apostles when we speak of Jesus’ first followers. But in today’s
Gospel, Jesus sent seventy-two disciples to go forth to all the
towns that He would soon visit. Think about that for a moment.
Seventy-two is quite a few people. These would not have been casual
followers of Jesus. Rather, they clearly were people who were all
in and fully committed to Christ. To them, Jesus entrusted the
mission of preaching and gave them authority over demons.
Try to imagine organizing and sending forth seventy-two different
people. Jesus would have come to know these disciples personally,
witnessed their faith firsthand, taught them at length, and
recognized that they were ready to fulfill His sacred mission. We
should also presume that there were many others who were His
faithful followers but were not yet ready to be entrusted with
divine authority and sent on a mission. Thus, the movement that
Jesus started was truly transforming for many people during those
first years of His public ministry.
The same is true for us today. Jesus is not finished sending
missionaries on mission. He continues to gather a vast army of
servants whom He calls close to Himself, with whom He establishes a
very personal relationship, teaches, forms, bestows with special
graces and charisms, and then sends forth to continue His apostolic
work. Are you among those who are ready to be sent forth by our
Lord?
One way to test your readiness for the mission of Christ is to
consider the command that Jesus gave to these seventy-two. He said
in part, “Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among
wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one
along the way.” In other words, our Lord was telling them that His
mission required sacrifice, courage, trust in divine providence,
and single-minded determination. His mission is not for the casual
follower. It’s for those who are serious about their faith and do
not hesitate to do all they need to do to get ready to fulfill
Jesus’ divine command.
Reflect, today, upon whether you are ready to fulfill the apostolic
mission Jesus wants to entrust to you. Are you willing to sacrifice
everything for this mission? Are you courageous enough to do
whatever He calls you to do? Do you trust that God will provide for
you so that you can accomplish the task He has given to you? And
are you single-minded and fully determined? Do not hesitate. Place
yourself at the service of our Lord and await His glorious calling
in your life.
My glorious Lord, You have called countless people to Yourself,
formed them by Your grace, bestowed Your gifts upon them and sent
them forth to touch many minds and hearts. Please use me, dear
Lord, to accomplish the task that You wish to entrust to me. Form
me, use me and send me forth as You have done with countless others
before me. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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