Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 7, 2013
The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.
First Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14
Rejoice, Jerusalem,
be glad for her, all you who love her!
Rejoice, rejoice for her,
all you who mourned her!
That you may be suckled, filled,
from her consoling breast,
that you may savour with delight
her glorious breasts.
For thus says the Lord:
Now towards her I send flowing
peace, like a river,
and like a stream in spate
the glory of the nations.
At her breast will her nurslings be carried
and fondled in her lap.
Like a son comforted by his mother
will I comfort you.
And by Jerusalem you will be comforted.
At the sight your heart will rejoice,
and your bones flourish like the grass.
To his servants the Lord will reveal his hand.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65:1-7,16,20
Second Reading: Galatians 6:14-18
The only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world. It does not matter if a person is circumcised or not; what matters is for him to become an altogether new creature. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, who form the Israel of God.
I want no more trouble from anybody after this; the marks on my body are those of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, my brothers. Amen.
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12,17-20
‘Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house.
‘Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near.” I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.’
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. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot 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 rather that your names are written in heaven.’
Reflection
By Mark Rodney Vertido
One of my personal patron saints is St. Hannibal Maria di Francia who is known as the Apostle of Prayer for Vocations. Since he was a child, he is always reminded by the Gospel that "The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.” This is where he got his famous motto: “Rogate ergo Dominum messis.”
The Gospel this Sunday does not only talk about the instructions of Jesus to His apostles. Jesus was giving the context and the reason for the mission and evangelization. Then He gave instructions for the “seventy-two others” who were sent in pairs to proclaim the Good News to the places Jesus intended to visit. Jesus instructed them to go to a mission bringing a simple way of life and peace to every town they will visit. Jesus also warned them that there will be places that may refuse to accept them. And lastly, the Gospel also talks about the results that the apostles bring about in their mission to proclaim God’s words.
In this reflection, I would like to focus on the reality of the missionary zeal of the Church.
The Catechism clearly points out that the requirement for being a Catholic is to become a missionary (in any way that we can be such). Among the four characteristics of the Church – that is, one, holy, catholic, and apostolic – it is being catholic that we become missionaries. The Church is katolikos or “universal.” Since the world is a very wide mission area, everyone is invited to become missionary.
Among the realities that the Church today is facing, is the fact that ordained and consecrated ministers are still on the verge of decline. Even though the Annuario Pontificio of the Vatican shows an increasing statistics of priests and religious, still the figures cannot cover the actual need of ministers for the increasing population of Catholic, of the world. Thus, Vaticanist John Allen in 2006, argued that one of the mega-trends that shaped the Catholic Church today and probably in the future is the growing empowerment of the laity. Setting the tone of the Church as driven by the laityy. This may imply that more lay people are now helping in the mission of the Church.
Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest. Just recently, I have resolved to become part of the Holy Spirit Associates (SSpSA). As an Associate, I am embracing a vocation to become a lay missionary. Vocation is always related to our personal and communal mission as part of the Church.
The idea of becoming a lay missionary is such a big dream. I am an Associate, meaning an Equal, of the SSpS sisters in their mission to bring the Holy Triune God in the hearts of all people. Needless to say, this starts with bringing the Triune God to my students first. We can become missionaries anywhere and to anyone. This is my personal mission at the moment. We may not easily recognize it but we do have a personal mission given by God for the benefit of the world which is full of suffering and indifference.
If we cannot be actively involved in the Church’s mission because of circumstances, we can always start in our own family. As we become more and more involved to this missionary endeavour, we will seek for ways to serve more.
You can do something! Listen to the Lord’s plea to “pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest that He send laborers to the harvest.” The power of prayer had been proven many times in history and in our personal experience. As we know, the Church is also driven by prayers not just activities. For almost five years now, many seminarians and those who are seeking holy orders had been included in my prayers. I believe that more than the material needs, prayers are more essential for them to persevere against the temptations of the evil one. Prayers brought good results, some found their vocation, others continue to persevere, while others have also finished their academic studies and proceeded to the next.
We must pray for vocations. But do not limit vocations to holy orders only. Being single or married is also a vocation. We pray for priests and religious men and women because we really need them. They are the signs and the witnesses of life. It is also essential to pray for single men and women that they may be pure and chaste. May they heed the call to be lay missionaries. We also pray for married couples and parents for they represent the Parental Love of God that our world needs. And may they also heed the call to offer back to God their children and encourage them to consider holy orders or other worthwhile vocations.
One of my personal patron saints is St. Hannibal Maria di Francia who is known as the Apostle of Prayer for Vocations. Since he was a child, he is always reminded by the Gospel that "The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest.” This is where he got his famous motto: “Rogate ergo Dominum messis.”
The Gospel this Sunday does not only talk about the instructions of Jesus to His apostles. Jesus was giving the context and the reason for the mission and evangelization. Then He gave instructions for the “seventy-two others” who were sent in pairs to proclaim the Good News to the places Jesus intended to visit. Jesus instructed them to go to a mission bringing a simple way of life and peace to every town they will visit. Jesus also warned them that there will be places that may refuse to accept them. And lastly, the Gospel also talks about the results that the apostles bring about in their mission to proclaim God’s words.
In this reflection, I would like to focus on the reality of the missionary zeal of the Church.
The Catechism clearly points out that the requirement for being a Catholic is to become a missionary (in any way that we can be such). Among the four characteristics of the Church – that is, one, holy, catholic, and apostolic – it is being catholic that we become missionaries. The Church is katolikos or “universal.” Since the world is a very wide mission area, everyone is invited to become missionary.
Among the realities that the Church today is facing, is the fact that ordained and consecrated ministers are still on the verge of decline. Even though the Annuario Pontificio of the Vatican shows an increasing statistics of priests and religious, still the figures cannot cover the actual need of ministers for the increasing population of Catholic, of the world. Thus, Vaticanist John Allen in 2006, argued that one of the mega-trends that shaped the Catholic Church today and probably in the future is the growing empowerment of the laity. Setting the tone of the Church as driven by the laityy. This may imply that more lay people are now helping in the mission of the Church.
Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest. Just recently, I have resolved to become part of the Holy Spirit Associates (SSpSA). As an Associate, I am embracing a vocation to become a lay missionary. Vocation is always related to our personal and communal mission as part of the Church.
The idea of becoming a lay missionary is such a big dream. I am an Associate, meaning an Equal, of the SSpS sisters in their mission to bring the Holy Triune God in the hearts of all people. Needless to say, this starts with bringing the Triune God to my students first. We can become missionaries anywhere and to anyone. This is my personal mission at the moment. We may not easily recognize it but we do have a personal mission given by God for the benefit of the world which is full of suffering and indifference.
If we cannot be actively involved in the Church’s mission because of circumstances, we can always start in our own family. As we become more and more involved to this missionary endeavour, we will seek for ways to serve more.
You can do something! Listen to the Lord’s plea to “pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest that He send laborers to the harvest.” The power of prayer had been proven many times in history and in our personal experience. As we know, the Church is also driven by prayers not just activities. For almost five years now, many seminarians and those who are seeking holy orders had been included in my prayers. I believe that more than the material needs, prayers are more essential for them to persevere against the temptations of the evil one. Prayers brought good results, some found their vocation, others continue to persevere, while others have also finished their academic studies and proceeded to the next.
We must pray for vocations. But do not limit vocations to holy orders only. Being single or married is also a vocation. We pray for priests and religious men and women because we really need them. They are the signs and the witnesses of life. It is also essential to pray for single men and women that they may be pure and chaste. May they heed the call to be lay missionaries. We also pray for married couples and parents for they represent the Parental Love of God that our world needs. And may they also heed the call to offer back to God their children and encourage them to consider holy orders or other worthwhile vocations.
Prayer
I would like to end with two beautiful prayers that is the center of my daily prayer:
Send, O Lord, Holy Apostles into Your Church!
May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people!
I would like to end with two beautiful prayers that is the center of my daily prayer:
Send, O Lord, Holy Apostles into Your Church!
May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people!
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