of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 WEEK TWENTY SIX – ORDINARY TIME

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 WEEK TWENTY SIX – ORDINARY TIME

SEVENTY-TWO MORE MISSIONARIES (LK 10:1-12)

Prayer:

O Lord, send me wherever your word needs to be preached.

Imagination:

Picture Jesus preparing 72 more disciples to go to the villages.

Context:

Three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), record Jesus sending the Twelve. Only Luke mentions this larger number of 72. Obviously, the early Church communities sent out large numbers of missionaries. The instructions given for the 72 are almost identical to those already given to the 12.

Gospel Text: (Read slowly, possibly aloud.)

Thoughts: (Read all. Ponder those that attract you.)

  1. Jesus organizes. He plans. He wastes no time. These 72 prepare villages for Jesus to follow.
  2. The disciples will face great hostilities – like lambs among wolves.
  3. The task is urgent, with no time for greeting people and passing the time of day.
  4. The disciple is a missionary, a preacher with an important message.
  5. He must be disciplined; content with whatever food or housing is available.
  6. If he preaches, the village must accept the message. Otherwise, Jesus will not come and they will lose the Kingdom.
  7. How dreadful will be their punishment on the day of the Kingdom.

Affections: (When one touches your heart, use your own words.)

  • Jesus, you have a plan for me, a place in your Kingdom and a task to be accomplished.
  • Prepare me, Jesus, for the hostility I will face when I speak of your Kingdom.
  • O Jesus, the whole world must hear and I must speak. How urgent is my task.
  • O Lord, I will make any sacrifice. Pay any price to bring your word.
  • The people must listen. They must respond. O Jesus, I will do all I can. Give me your Holy Spirit.

Resolutions: (Possibly you might want to make your own.)

+ I will look for people who need to hear about the Kingdom.

+ I will seek out the right way to preach to them.

Thought for the Day: (To recall your meditation.)