May Jesus Christ be praised and may his holy Mother pray for
us.
A few days ago we celebrated the independence of this country. We remembered that there are certain rights
that cannot be given to us by a government, because they were already given to
us by the Creator. The right to life, to
liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness are part of the foundation of this
country. These ideas are enshrined in
the Declaration of Independence that was submitted to an unjust
government. That is a political
document. Our life of following the Lord
Jesus, however, requires something different.
Last Sunday the readings and prayers of the Mass invited us to a life of
total commitment. This Sunday, the Lord
invites us to make our declaration of dependence.
In our reading from the Gospel of Luke the Lord Jesus chooses
seventy-two of his followers and sends them ahead of him. They are given very specific instructions. First, they are to pray. They are to ask the master of the harvest to
send more laborers to gather the abundant harvest. In this prayer they recognize that they are
part of the mission that belongs to another.
They did not send themselves to proclaim the Kingdom. They were sent by the Lord. In fulfillment of their mission, they must
recognize their dependence on the one who shared his mission with them.
Second, they are to travel as lambs among wolves. Lambs are part of a flock and they survive
because they remain close to the shepherd.
The gentle and humble lamb relies on the loving and protective care of
the shepherd who will seek out the lost and heal the injured. The disciples were sent out in pairs so that
they could protect each other from the wolves and offer the consolation of
companionship.
Third, they are to take nothing with them for the
journey. Their only possessions would be
the peace of God, the power to heal the sick, and the message that the Kingdom
is at hand. Everything that they were to
take with them had been given to them by the Lord. They were to rely on others to provide them
with food and with shelter. They were to
be as dependent as the nursing child in our reading from the prophet Isaiah. Their lives would be living witnesses to
their dependence on the Lord.
Finally, they were to entrust the results of their mission to
the care of the Master. Only the Master
knows the full fruits of the harvest.
Only the Master can see the entire mission field and knows the full
effects of the work of the laborers. For
those who were sent, the true consolation must be found in the invitation of
the Master and the privilege of working in his field and sharing in his
mission. The greatest joy of the servant
is the knowledge that the name of the servant is written in the heart of the
Master.
We have been called, dear brothers and sisters, to share in
the mission of the Savior. United to
Christ in our baptism, the Lord gathers us to himself each Sunday. As this good shepherd, he offers us the
instruction of his Word and the power of his grace in the Sacraments, so that
we can be renewed and restored. We come
before the Altar and declare our dependence on the ministry of the High Priest
of our confession of faith. To this Jesus
who is the Good Shepherd, the Savior of the World and the conqueror of sin and
death, we pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor, so that we can
receive the gift of his peace, the power of his healing, and the promise of his
Kingdom.
As we celebrate this Eucharist, we ask for the grace of
humility so that we can declare our dependence.
We give thanks for the invitation of the Lord and the privilege of
sharing in his mission. And we rejoice
that Lord of heaven and earth has written our names in his heart. Amen.
Preached at Our Lady of Lourdes
Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
