Sisters of St. Mary of Namur

July 4, 2010   14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10.1-12,17-20

In today's gospel Jesus sends seventy-two others out in pairs sort of as advance teams to the towns he would visit.  Their message is "the kingdom of God is at hand for you", and they are to bring peace to every household they encounter.   Sometimes when we hear the term "laborers for the harvest" we think about priests and religious and the need for more of them -- and rightly so.  But today's gospel is speaking to you as a baptized Christian.  Because we are baptized, we are sent.  The laity in particular is sent to bring the gospel message into every nook and cranny of our world, every home, factory, office, school, every streetcorner. Not many of us preach sermons, but every one of us is called to announce the presence of God's kingdom of truth and justice, love and peace.  How?  We preach the gospel by our very presence and by living those values daily, wherever we may be.  Christ knows it's not easy.  We are vulnerable like lambs among wolves.  We may lose friends or jobs when we make choices in favor of peace and justice, or support legislation that helps the poor, or when we speak the truth, or refuse to go along with activities at work that are at best "shady".  When our lives reflect Jesus' messge, we may not be welcomed some places but, welcomed or not, people will  know that there is another way to live, the gospel way, and they just might be ready to welcome Jesus when he knocks on their door because they have seen the lives of his "advance team", us, and will recognize him.

On this 4th of July, let us pray that the presence of Chrisitians in our beloved country will be leaven that brings more and more peace and justice, love and truth in our nation and in our world.

-Sister Marian Baumler