This Sunday, here in America we mark our 234th birthday of independence. Of course the 4th of July is not a Church feast but the sending out of 72 disciples as we hear in the Gospel might be seen as reflective of how this nation was formed.
On July 4, 1776, gathered on a hot, steamy afternoon in Philadelphia, a determined group of men consisting of intellectuals, philosophers, politicians, diplomats, lawyers, and farmers made the bold move to sign a Declaration of Independence from the oppressive rule of King George III of England. Potentially viewed as an act of defiance against a powerful nation this document contained ideas not particularly new but for the first time, concretely organized and declared as a national charter of identity. Thomas Jefferson, the author of this declaration, still in his 30’s, composed an articulate document that has stood the test of time and has become a shining light of both hope and challenge to all nations on earth. It was a going forth with boldness, an experiment in democracy, a new vision brought to this land and proclaimed to the world. The rest is history of course and it continues to be written.
As a global partner we are but children in history. We are hardly England, China, Russia, the Middle East, or Egypt but this land has welcomed immigrants from every part of the world. We have gone forth, often under thorny conditions, with a message of freedom and a new way of life that has at times been welcomed and at other times been received with suspicion and outright hostility. America is not perfect but this weekend’s readings offer us a global mission not limited to one nation that all who are followers of Christ can carry to all parts of the earth.
The Gospel today, Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20, has 72 disciples sent out on mission by Jesus to proclaim a new vision, a new hope, a new way of life, albeit far more universal in the sense that it was divinely instituted. Why 72? Genesis 10: 1-32 may provide some answer to that. After the great flood Genesis relates that Noah’s descendents filled the earth and populated all nations. How many? Beginning with 72, a symbol of all nations, St. Luke tells us that mission which Jesus sent his disciples on was a message for all humanity – “The kingdom of God is at hand for you!” That message is a critical one so Jesus’ disciples are not meant to waste precious time as they go to, “every town and place.”
The mission will be hard and not without dangers, “I am sending you like lambs among wolves . . .” and his disciples are not to worry about the more mundane concerns that may limit or slow down the message entrusted to them, “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’ . . . stay in the same house . . . do not move about from one house to another . . .” If the proclamation is embraced, all the better; if not, don’t waste time – move on and proclaim the message of salvation. But if there is rejection, those who do so will pay serious consequences, “. . . it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town . . .”
Tough words from Jesus but we have heard such a challenge before. What our Lord expects of his disciples is not some sort of half-hearted, lukewarm, “let me go bury my father first” sort of commitment. But rather, his disciples will walk the same road he does and will experience the same suffering as they labor to bring a view that defies the status-quo of their time and continues to prove the same today.
While we Christians of 2010 may find ourselves in cultural conditions vastly different from these words written around the year 70 – 80 A.D., human nature essentially has not changed. The words of Jesus written in Luke certainly reflect what the early Christians were up against: a government which looked upon them with suspicion, an entrenched Jewish leadership which viewed the early Christians as heretics and those who went over to the way of Jesus from Judaism as apostates. They were “lambs among wolves” and the countless witness of Christian martyrs, including the Apostles, is testimony to this fact.
Yet, here we stand more than two thousand years later, and the call to discipleship is no less important. The words of the Gospel are spoken in the present tense. They are not meant to be read as memories from long ago but spoken in the here and the now. For us Americans, we view our founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in somewhat the same way. Those are words written in the past but alive in the present. Even more with the Gospel of Christ not restricted to one nation or one geographical location on earth.
So, today, where are we “lambs among wolves?” Have you listened to certain arms of the secular press recently? The horrible scandal of child sexual abuse continues to plague the Church and the proper authorities continue to respond diligently. Yet, many use this as leverage for harassment against the Pope himself. No matter what is said, the Church, it seems, can never win here. A healthy and respective dialogue over solutions seems to be sorely lacking but over time, the truth will win the day.
What about the Church position on abortion and the dignity of human life? Or the defense of marriage as it has been understood since male and female found a natural attraction to each other and the rejection of “same-sex” so called marriage as an acceptable alternative? There is no shortage of issues around which the Church is perceived as out of touch, naïve, or insensitive to reality.
In his book, Jesus of Nazareth, Pope Benedict XVI says it well about Jesus' disciples:
". . . in faith, in communion with the only true Lord of the world, he is given the 'armor of God.' It enables him - in the communion of the whole body of Christ - to oppose these powers, knowing that the Lord's gift of faith restores the pure breath of life; the breath of the Creator, the breath of the Holy Spirit, which alone can give health to the world."
Yet, our mission may not need to be so global. We all have one. We are all sent by Jesus Christ to proclaim in this time and place how the kingdom of God is inviting us to see things through the eyes of God. That is our mission. It can mean living as authentic witnesses by the integrity of our lives; use the internet and social networks such as Facebook as tools for evangelization; serve the poor among us. Take care of the old and frail or if elderly, pray for the young; feed the hungry in our midst; reach out in compassion to the lonely or unwelcome. If you live the married vocation, teach and form your children in the ways of faith and love for the Church; regularly participate in the sacramental life of the Church and support the works of your parish. As priest and pastor I see this as my call to empower those around me to live their faith with courage.
No matter what age or generation we are products of, consecrated and dedicated in our baptism, the Lord sends us out as St. Paul tells us in our second reading today from Galatians 6: 14-18, to “. . . never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified . . .” saved and redeemed.
God bless this Nation and all nations. Let us pray to become people of peace and justice and proclaim the timeless gift of Jesus Christ to every town and place.
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