A Lectio Divina Approach to the Sunday Liturgy
BREAKING THE BREAD OF THE WORD (# 32)
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – July 4, 2004
“Bearer Of Peace”
Is 66:10-14c // Gal 6:14-18 // Lk 10:1-12, 17-20
I. BIBLICO-LITURGICAL REFLECTIONS
The book, Stories for the Heart, compiled by Alice Gray (Multnomah Press: Sisters, Oregon, 1996, p.239), contains a heartwarming story, “Picture of Peace” by Catherine Marshall. Her story gives us a glimpse of what true peace is all about.
There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest – in perfect peace.
Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?
“Because,” explained the king, “peace does not mean to be in place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be in calm in your heart. This is the real meaning of peace.”
This Sunday’s Gospel reading (Lk 10:1-12, 17-20) tells us about the mission of the seventy-two disciples who are called to be peace-bearers. The peace that they are sent forth to bring comes from the sacrificial love of Christ, and it is the true peace welling from within. The peace-bearing mission of Christ’s disciples has a universal character. In Luke’s account, we hear: “The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit” (Lk 10:1).
Aelred Rosser explains the symbolic value of the number seventy-two: “In the mind of Luke and his contemporaries it stood for the number of all the nations of the world. So the significance of sending out that many disciples is that the message of Jesus’ arrival and the inauguration of his kingdom is to reach to the ends of the earth. This theme of universalism is strong in Luke, both here in his gospel and in his second volume, the Acts of the Apostles.” Harold Buetow adds a depth of meaning to the number seventy-two symbolism. He remarks: “In the Gospel Jesus sends seventy-two disciples like lambs among wolves (v. 3) to spread his message of peace – a reminder that, when Moses was worn down with work, the Lord had him designate seventy-two elders to help him … We must not only be grateful for his salvation but must actually share it by carrying our responsibilities. Although we can’t offer instant solutions to all problems or suffering, Jesus’ Good News can alone provide true peace.”
The evangelist Luke expresses the magnitude of the missionary task of the seventy-two disciples in terms of “abundant harvest” as we can glean from Jesus’ exhortation to his disciples: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Lk 10:2). The plentiful harvest refers to the extensive missionary work that the followers of Christ need to carry out on behalf of the entire human race. Indeed, the task of preaching the Gospel of peace to humankind entails the self-sacrificing ministry of apostolic “reapers” to gather the fruitful harvest of the redeemed into the barns of God’s kingdom.
Luke’s account of mission sending underlines, moreover, the urgency of the Gospel task. According to the commands of Jesus, the disciples are to travel light, salute no one along the road, and not be deterred by those who refuse to welcome them. There is an impelling quality and resoluteness in the task of proclaiming the Reign of God and in spreading the message of peace. The disciples sent by Jesus must not be way laid nor indulge in distractions or petty matters, but rather, trust in the providence of God as they experience their own vulnerability and the people’s hostility. Indeed, the time of salvation has come. The kingdom of God is at hand. The mission of the Christ’s disciples is urgent and they must keep moving.
The heart of their missionary proclamation is the Reign of God. Harold Buetow explains: “The characteristic quality of this kingdom, as pictured in today’s section of Isaiah, is the Hebrew shalom; salaam in other Semitic languages. This beautiful word is untranslatable, but peace is its dominant characteristic – and also harmony, joy, well-being in every sense, and prosperity … Peace, in the final analysis, means oneness with God’s will. The search for peace must begin with individuals like you and me, then radiate out – to family, community, nation, and world … Peace isn’t a given: it has to be continually worked for, and worked at. If you haven’t found Jesus’ deep peace, take the first step – the long one – of praying for a heart to welcome it. When that’s achieved, we have peace of soul, even in the world’s imperfection … Let’s repeat constantly the beautiful words Jesus advised: Peace be to this household (v.5). Peace is our greeting, and peace is our mark. Peace is one of the signs of the presence of the kingdom. May God’s peace be in our hearts and in our homes.”
Indeed, this is the true cause for rejoicing: that the peace of Christ is within us and that we have done the saving will of God. We are thus assured of the heavenly inheritance. The disciples of Jesus sent to proclaim the Reign of God and its gift of peace are aware that God, who reaps “the harvest” through their missionary activity, is their true and ultimate reward. In their missionary task as Gospel peace bearers, the disciples in mission experience the Lord’s assurance: “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20).
II. POINTS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF THE HEART
A. How do we heed the following exhortation of Jesus: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Lk 10:2)?
B. As disciples of Christ in mission, are we resolute and decisive in proclaiming the Reign of God and its message of peace? Do we travel light or are we are encumbered with heavy load? Are we distracted or do we have focus? Do we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by lack of success or discouraging results? Do we put our trust in God alone? Do we rejoice not on account of earthly feats, but because our names are written in heaven?
C. Are we truly bearers of peace? Does our evangelical mission beget tranquility in others?
III. PRAYING WITH THE WORD
Leader: Lord Jesus, we wish to respond to your exhortation: “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Lk 10:2).
Assembly: As we pray for more laborers to reap the harvest of human race, help us that we too may be self-giving reapers in that spiritual harvest.
Leader: Lord Jesus, we wish to respond to your mandate: “Go on your way … Into whatever house you enter, first say ‘Peace to this household’. If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him” (Lk 10:3,5).
Assembly: Make us instrument of your peace. May the peace that you have bestowed upon us as an Easter gift rest on the people we are to bless.
Leader: Lord Jesus, we wish to respond to your invitation: “Rejoice because tour names are written in heaven” (Lk 10:20).
Assembly: Do not let discouraging results overwhelm us, nor encouraging achievements to inflate us. May we truly rejoice in your peace and in the assurance that having done your saving will, our names are written in heaven.
IV. INTERIORIZATION OF THE WORD
The following is the bread of the living Word that will nourish us throughout the week. Please memorize it.
“Go on your way … Into whatever house you enter, first say ‘Peace to this household’. If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him” (Lk 10:3,5).
V. TOWARDS LIFE TRANSFORMATION
A. Pray for an increase of priestly and religious vocations in the Church, and for the perseverance of those called to a special peace-making ministry.
B. Pray for peace in the world and those called to be special peace-bearers in today's situations of violence and conflict.
Prepared by Sr. Mary Margaret Tapang PDDM
SISTER DISICPLES OF THE DIVINE MASTER
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