HEEDING THE GOSPEL’S URGENCY

V/​ I will turn to you O God, 

R/​ to God who gives joy to my youth

V/​ Give me the Wisdom that sits by your throne; 

R/ that I may be counted among your children

Lord, in your all-providential plan, you have led me to this moment to rediscover me in your Word and Wisdom. Aid me to make this time of meditation and prayer enriching, transforming, and liberating for my well-being and others. Amen!

HEEDING THE GOSPEL’S URGENCY

By Fr. Nicholas Macedon, OCD

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Isaiah 66:10 – 4; Psalm Galatians 6:14 -18; Luke 10:1 – 12, 17 – 20

Sunday 6th July 2025

The early missionaries had to walk long distances on foot; some others used mules or horses for their journey. They had to use ships to cross oceans. It was much slower in terms of speed, but their message was deeper and far-reaching because of their earnestness and passion. Since many missionaries had to walk, they had personal contact with the people, and wherever they stopped over in the course of the journey, they founded communities and built missions. In contrast, these days, the missionaries fly across continents like executives and travel around in cars with no real contact with people. They establish massive institutions. The strong point is speed, while lacking depth in evangelisation and sometimes passion too. In this context, the Word of God in the liturgy of the 14th Sunday comes as a challenge! It challenges us to make a distinction between the urgency of the message that motivates us to be passionate, serious and deep, and speed that could be achievement-oriented while being shallow and showy.

The gospel of today could be a meaningful challenge not only to ‘missionaries’, but also to every Christian, since we are all called to be evangelizers or messengers of the Good News. In the Gospel of Luke, there are two similar commissionings and sending out of groups. In Lk 9:1-6, Jesus sends out the Twelve. And in Lk 10:1-16, Jesus sends out the Seventy (or seventy-two) with the instructions that we heard read today. So, Jesus sends out not only priests and religious, but even the large circle of his disciples – all Christians. At the core of the sending out is the image of a mustard seed growing to be a tree with large branches. Jesus is creating a movement of people around him. He does not do everything by himself; he just creates ripples. The Kingdom of God is growing. And we are all part of that ripple, being touched by it and passing it on. The instructions given to the two movements are the same. It is marked by the same sense of urgency, reliance on God and his providence, and being able to respect the individual response of the listener.

In some cultures, the instruction not to greet anyone on the road could sound very impolite. But taken in the context of the gospel stories like Mary’s haste to the hill country at the Annunciation, Andrew’s enthusiasm to find his brother after encountering Christ, the return to Jerusalem after the encounter with Jesus on the road to Emmaus… These instances remind us of the urgency of the Good News. Even though this urgency is not the same as speed. It is the drive and passion within individuals that makes Good News convincing to the listeners. The source of this inner energy is our own continued encounter with Jesus, and it does not depend on the means: “take no purse with you, no haversack, no sandals” (Lk 10:4).

Pope Pius XI’s proclamation of St. Thérèse as the Patroness of the Missions affirms that the missionary spirit is not confined to external action, but is deeply rooted in the heart’s union with God and love for souls. St. Thérèse exemplifies that anyone, regardless of their circumstances, can participate in Christ’s mission through prayer, sacrifice, and love. Her life reminds us that the means of mission may vary, but the goal remains the same: to bring all people into the saving embrace of Christ.

We need to continue the proclamation of the Gospel with the source of inner energy. Just as Jesus, in today’s Gospel, gave instructions to the seventy-two missionaries, he also gives each one of us a mission to carry out with the source of inner energy. As faithful Christians, we should attract others to the Faith by leading exemplary lives, just as a rose silently attracts people by its beauty and fragrance. This is our identity and our responsibility. We ought not to miss the current opportunities to be apostles in our everyday life.