Luke 10:1-12

Luke 10:1-12

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples

whom he sent ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place he intended to visit.

He said to them,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.

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.

Into whatever house you enter, first say,

‘Peace to this household.’

If a peaceful person lives there,

your peace will rest on him;

but if not, it will return to you.

Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,

for the laborer deserves his payment.

Do not move about from one house to another.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,

eat what is set before you,

cure the sick in it and say to them,

‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’

Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,

go out into the streets and say,

‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,

even that we shake off against you.’

Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.

I tell you, 

it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day 

than for that town.”

Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are the Lord of the harvest. Send me into the world as your servant, carrying your peace and proclaiming your Kingdom. Teach me to trust in your providence, to depend upon your grace, and to love others with the merciful love of your Son. May my life bear abundant fruit for your Kingdom.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Sent as Lambs Among Wolves: Jesus does not intend to accomplish his mission alone. He appoints seventy-two disciples and sends them ahead of him to prepare the towns and villages for his coming. Their mission echoes the ministry of Moses, who appointed seventy elders to assist him in governing Israel. Jesus, however, sends his disciples with striking simplicity: they are to carry no money bag, sack, or extra sandals. Their poverty is meant to teach them dependence upon God. Jesus describes them as lambs among wolves. They will encounter resistance, but they are not sent to conquer through worldly power. They are sent to bring peace, heal the sick, and announce that the Kingdom of God has drawn near. The healings are visible signs of the spiritual salvation that Christ brings. The disciples prepare the way for Jesus by bringing his peace into the lives of those they encounter. Their mission also requires them to receive from others. They are to remain in the same house, eat what is offered, and accept the hospitality of those who welcome them. The Kingdom creates communion rather than separation. Jesus’ disciples are not to isolate themselves from the people they serve but to enter into their lives. This mission is not limited to the Twelve. Through Baptism, every Christian is called to participate in Christ’s mission. We may not all preach publicly or perform extraordinary works, but we can bring Christ’s peace, mercy, truth, and healing into the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

2. The Science of Divine Love: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus understood this missionary vocation in a remarkably profound way. In 1997, Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church. He called the heart of her teaching the “science of divine love” – a wisdom received not through academic study but through prayer, Scripture, and an intimate experience of God’s merciful love. John Paul II emphasized that Thérèse possessed a special charism of wisdom. Although she had no advanced theological education, she was taught by Christ, the “Doctor of Doctors.” Her “little way” is therefore not merely a spirituality of doing small things. It is a profound way of understanding the Christian mystery: everything comes from God, everything returns to God, and everything is received within the mystery of his merciful love. Thérèse discovered that holiness does not require extraordinary accomplishments. It requires confident abandonment to God. Like the seventy-two disciples who were sent without provisions, she learned to rely completely upon divine providence. She understood her littleness not as an obstacle to God’s work but as the very condition for receiving his grace. Her spirituality also transformed the meaning of mission. Although she lived a hidden life in the Carmel of Lisieux, she understood herself as a missionary. She prayed and offered herself for the salvation of souls. She discovered her vocation in the Church through the words of Saint Paul: “In the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be Love.” For Thérèse, love was not an alternative to mission. Love was her mission.

3. God is Our Father, and We are His Children: At the heart of Thérèse's “little way” is spiritual childhood. John Paul II explains that this means recognizing ourselves as God’s adopted children in Christ and confidently entrusting ourselves to the Father’s merciful love. It is not childishness or passivity. It is the mature recognition that we cannot save ourselves and that every grace comes from God. This helps us understand today’s Gospel more deeply. Jesus sends his disciples without the resources on which they might ordinarily depend. They must learn that the power of their mission comes not from themselves but from the One who sends them. Their poverty becomes an occasion for trust. Thérèse lived this same dependence upon God. She knew that she was “little,” but she also knew that the Father’s love was greater than her weakness. She did not need to accomplish great things by her own strength. She needed to allow God to work through her. Her confidence rested not upon her own abilities but upon God’s mercy. This spiritual childhood also leads outward toward love. Because we know ourselves to be beloved children of the Father, we can recognize others as his children. The love we receive from God becomes the love we give to others. Thus contemplation and mission belong together. Thérèse's hidden life became fruitful for the whole Church because it was filled with love. Her message therefore has extraordinary universality. The “little way” can be lived by priests and religious, parents and children, the young and the elderly, those engaged in public ministry and those whose lives appear hidden and ordinary. Every Christian can trust God, accept the circumstances he permits, perform small acts of love, pray for others, and offer everything to him. The missionary disciple does not need to be powerful, impressive, or successful by worldly standards. Like the seventy-two, we are sent as lambs. Like Thérèse, we are invited to become little before God, trusting that his grace can accomplish what we cannot. The Kingdom of God is at hand wherever Christ’s love is received and shared.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you sent your disciples in poverty and trust, depending upon the Father who sent them. Teach me the spiritual childhood of Saint Thérèse: to know that I am your beloved child, to trust your mercy, and to let your love work through me. Make my ordinary acts of love fruitful for the salvation of others.

Living the Word of God: Where am I relying more on my own resources, abilities, or accomplishments than on God’s providence? What would greater trust in the Father look like in one concrete situation today? Who has God placed in my path to receive Christ’s peace through me? What specific word or act of patience, mercy, encouragement, or kindness can I offer that person today? Can I accept the “little way” of Saint Thérèse by doing ordinary things with extraordinary love? What small, hidden act of love can I offer to God today for the good of another person and the salvation of souls?