Gospel: Luke 10:1-12
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of him, to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.
When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for a certainty that the kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment it will be better for Sodom than for this town.
Reflection
What baggage do I have to let go?
Missionaries go on missions to different parishes or basic ecclesial communities. As such, they are itinerant and must transfer from one place to another. Hence, they bring as few things as possible. Nowadays, we call it “travelite” or traveling light.
Jesus sends his disciples to villages with nothing to bring. It’s a bit of an exaggeration, but Jesus may want to make a point. The more baggage we have, the more difficult it is to move or be available.
So much of our lives are lived with baggage that hinders us from sharing in the mission of Christ, according to our state of life. It may not only be material baggage but also the emotional baggage of the past that hinders us from continuing to be faithful disciples of the Lord. We may ask, what baggage do I have to let go of to be a true missionary disciple of Jesus?
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