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From the Pastor's Desk: July 3, 2022
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From the Pastor’s Desk: July 3, 2022
With the celebration of the Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, we entered the month of July – the month dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. July is vacation time in full swing - the time of summer heat, traveling and relaxation. It is also a time when our journey of faith continues to invite us to reflect upon our relationship with Jesus and the significant role Christ plays in our lives. So together with the Gospel of Luke we continue to follow Jesus on His way to Jerusalem.
Last week the Gospel passage reminded us of the different types of excuses by which people refuse to follow Christ right now with all their mind, heart, soul and strength. Today we encounter the crowning of what it means to be a disciple of Christ: to follow Him so closely that His priorities become our priorities, His message our message, His mission our mission, His zeal for the salvation of others our own.
Jesus appointed seventy-two of His disciples and sent them out in pairs to proclaim the Gospel He Himself taught them. A short time earlier (cf. Lk 9:1-6), Jesus had sent out the twelve apostles, those who would become his first priests. But to share the Gospel was not meant to be the task of priests alone. So he appointed 72 — probably the twelve apostles and 60 of whom we would call today lay people — and sent them out to the neighboring towns and villages. “The harvest is abundant,” He said, “but the laborers are few.” Jesus not only instructed them to pray to God the Father to send more laborers, but was showing them one way the Father responds to that prayer, by sending them out as laborers for his Harvest of souls.
And then He gave them a set of strict instructions - to take only what they need and rely on the charity of others, while at the same time generously offer the peace of the kingdom they are about to proclaim. This is a difficult task, as they are "lambs among wolves." Yet their message fulfills Isaiah's oracle proclaimed in the First Reading: "The Lord's power shall be known to his servants." While the mission of the seventy-two brings joy, the Second Reading and prayers draw our attention to the cross of discipleship. In the reading from Galatians, Paul boasts in Christ's cross, for through it God "raised up a fallen world." While we may rejoice that our "names are written in heaven," we cannot ignore what lies between here and there.
On Monday, we celebrate the Fourth of July - Independence Day – one of the most important national holidays. This is a day to thank God for the political and religious freedom we enjoy and to pray for God’s special blessings on the rulers and the people of our country. It is the day to remember the basic principle underlined in the constitution that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is the day to remind ourselves that we have a duty to protect these God-given rights and offer our support for those leaders who believe in God and who have character, integrity, experience and belief in inalienable human rights.
In the context of the celebration of Independence Day, we want to thank God for liberating the innocent lives from the peril of abortion after 49 long years. We should offer our gratitude to God that the years of so many Masses, rosaries and other prayer services, in addition to countless hours of work – protests, litigations, research, technological innovations, and dollars, that Lord granted us our petition. The monstrous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that contradicted the very purpose of law has finally been overturned, the protection of its citizens has been given and a lethal error has at last been rectified. The road ahead is challenging, yet filled with promise of hope. Although we rejoice and give thanks to God today, but we must return to fight as now we enter a new, uncharted phase of the battle to continue to protect innocent human lives.
“You have freedom only to give your heart away. To whom do you give yours? You give it either to the moods, to the hour, to the egoism, to creatures, or to God.” -The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen
Have a blessed week everybody!
With prayers, Fr. Andy
