Sunday/Monday (Tuesday) Homily Luke 10:1-12

The 72 mentioned in the Gospel seem according to scholars to represent the nations of the world.?Luke roots the universal mission of the church in the ministry of Jesus.??

The parings of the disciples seem to have three reasons: mutual support; bearing of witness to the truth of their testimony (the legal need for two witnesses in Jewish law); and the living of the gospel of peace.?

The theme of peace is brought out through the symbol of the lambs and wolves.?It expresses how helpless a missionary is among hostile people, and the Christian mission inaugurates a new era of peace and reconciliation in which the lamb will lie down with the wolf.?

?Greeting no one on the way is a shocking pronouncement, evoking the single-mindedness of the prophets and a means Luke uses to emphasize his theme of extreme love of enemies and what genuine gospel peace and reconciliation involves.?The prophet disciple has to focus on the mission.?Love of one’s enemies is so unique to Christianity, that it is hard for others to conceive, perhaps even ourselves in this bellicose world.

?Today’s scripture challenges us to reflect on our mission and our dedication to genuine Christian Love.

Before the horrible genocide of Putin’s Russian power in Ukraine, this would have been the end of my homily.?However, we are in times quite more violent, with more powerful implements of war than ever before as witnessed in Ukraine.

The Holy Father has just announced a need to review the theology of a just war.?What does it mean in our times??We Christians want a world at Peace, but how do we get there??One thing we have learned; there cannot be peace without Justice.?How can we make a world that is more just??Today’s Gospel is challenging you and me to reflect on what we can do to make it so.?Pray about it.

Peace,

Fr. George, SJ