Gospel Reflection July 6 – Fr. Fox

Sunday, July 6

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 10: 1-9

Gospel:

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others

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.'”

Gospel Reflection:

Our gospel for this week speaks to Jesus sending out 72 disciples on a mission to villages and towns where He plans to visit on His way to Jerusalem. Just as Jesus gives instructions to these disciples on what to do and how to behave during this sojourn, this passage in the gospel should also speak to our hearts.

We have all been given a mission in this life by God, and one of the most critical aspects of our young lives and planning for our futures is discerning and committing to our intended vocation. Some may think their vocation centers around the type of skill set required for a particular job they aspire to, as well as the educational requirements necessary to succeed in their desired occupation. As important as determining our roles in life in society are, these plans are not our vocation.

Our vocations are the kind of life God wants us to lead. It is not based on career because how we make money to support ourselves and what sort of contribution we make to society is not as important as fulfilling the mission God has given us to accomplish here on earth, making His plan of salvation a reality for many people who do not know Jesus Christ. We can think of this difference as our careers being how we will survive on earth, but our vocations are how many people we can bring with us into eternal life.

As followers of Christ, we are all called to participate in God’s plan of salvation, and there are three main paths we choose from: married life, single life, and religious life. These three lifelong commitments set the stage for our entire earthly journey, and by accomplishing the tasks God has set before us, we become united in the mission of spreading the gospel message to the farthest corners of the earth.

Most of us will be called to married life. This life consists of the bearing and raising of children in the faith. If we use the analogy of reaping a harvest, I like to think of married life and the raising of children as planting fruit trees. Fruit falls from the tree and sprouts into new life, a new tree that itself grows, matures, and produces fruit of its own year after year. Fruit is beautiful and carries with it the lineage from which it came.

In keeping with our analogy, we can view religious life as the farmer scattering seed over a field. The field is the world, and the seed is the gospel message of life and faith in Jesus Christ. In scattering the seed, the word is planted over a wider area; it too grows and matures, and then is harvested like wheat. The religious life is intended to feed the masses by reaping a harvest and then turning that wheat into bread. The priesthood then essentially takes the word of God and transforms it into life-giving food, the sacraments, for all to eat. Religious sisters and brothers concentrate their efforts on helping the farmer bring these sacraments and the faith to others in unity. Priesthood and religious life resemble married life in that we are united in our efforts to save souls, just as a farmer’s family helps to run the farm and keep the crop viable for the upcoming harvest.

The single life is often overlooked and can be confusing, but it is for those who are not destined to marry, nor have they been called to “run a farm.” Their roles are no less important because those who are called to single life are dedicated to a life of example. Through them, we see the glory of purity and life dedicated to being solely focused on the realization of God’s kingdom. They assist the church in reaping the harvest, as a hired hand helps the farmer bring in the goods. A farmer could not hope to reap an entire harvest on his own, so he needs those who can help him. Raising a family requires immense commitment, as does serving as a priest or religious and distributing the sacraments to the faithful. Those called to the single life have the freedom to go wherever they are needed to bring others to the faith.

Our lives have been given to us by the Almighty, and with that gift comes a mission. It is predetermined what kind of role we have been called to, and through careful discernment and prayerful thought, our calling will become known. It is then up to us to fulfill that mission God has given us by committing to our vocations for the extent of our earthly life and bringing the harvests we are intended to gather into eternal life. In this way, we can present the fruits of our labor to our loving God upon entering into His kingdom of everlasting joy and peace.

God bless,

Fr. Jason Fox