The Seventy-Two ~ 7th July 2013

If you asked Pope Francis what was the most important day in his life: his pontifical inauguration or his baptism, what do you think he would say? Well, the correct answer would be his baptism. As baptised Christians we are all anointed and sent out into the world. In today’s Gospel Jesus sends out the seventy-two ‘ahead of him’ to all the surrounding towns and villages. In all our different roles in society we too are sent out ‘ahead of him’ as teachers, parents, ministers of various kinds, politicians, educators, social workers, students, nurses, whatever category we want to put ourselves into. The seventy-two in this passage are told to take nothing with them, no airs or graces, no judgements, no prejudices, just to go as they are and to meet the people where they are at.

We are all responsible for our Church, not just a select few. We all have different roles to play, we all have responsibilities. Instead of wondering what is going to happen in the future and why the “labourers are so few”, remember that Jesus sent out the seventy-two ahead of him and expects us all to play our role as leaders, as workers, as ministers, as people of God working together so that the ‘Kingdom of God is very near’.

“Do not be a ‘part-time’ Christian, at certain moments, in certain circumstances, in certain choices. Be a Christian at all times!” (Pope Francis)