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.’

Reflect

“Channels of God's blessings.” Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus as he sends his seventy-two
disciples into mission. Part of the missionary instructions given by Jesus was to set off without
purse, bags or sandals. These things become a symbol which may seem important as one
embarks on a journey. However, for a missionary, these things may even become a hindrance
in traveling light. Purse and bags may represent something in our life, which are
not really essential, yet we find them to be very difficult to give up. The sandals may represent
things in our life, which when not used properly, may become the stumbling block that prevents
us to reach out to others. The set of instructions given by Jesus to his seventytwo disciples
primarily aimed at the good of other people. The nearness of the kingdom of God, which the
disciples proclaimed, is measured by how other-oriented they had already become. The
seventytwo disciples were sent to become channels of God’s blessings, and instruments
of his peace and healing to the people during that time. We continue carrying out this
mission today.

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