Be Ambassadors of Peace!

 (Homily 14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

     The readings of this Sunday seem to be internally discordant amongst them, but at a close observation and reflection, one notices a thread of connection that runs through them. The connecting theme is that of peace. Prophet Isaiah spoke of peace and rejoicing in Jerusalem in his prophecy. In the Gospel as Jesus sent the seventy (-two), he charged them to proclaim peace to any house they enter, for peace is the sign of the nearness of God’s kingdom. Similarly, St. Paul in the second reading proclaimed peace and mercy on those who walk on the rule of the new creation that supersedes the law of circumcision or uncircumcision. However, the crux of todays’ message revolves around how we should carry out our mission as Christians and on what to lay the foundation of our Christian existence. In the first reading Isaiah led it on the realization of God’s promises, in the same vein, Jesus reminded the apostles to rejoice not because of the success of the mission, but because their names have been written in heaven, to help them understand that a sheep does not rely on its own strength but on that of the Shepherd. In the second reading St. Paul vehemently asserted that his glory is in the cross of Christ, and that is the basis of his Christian existence.

     The first reading (Is. 66:10-14) presents the scenario of the joy that followed the restoration of God’s people from exile. The returning exiles were received by Jerusalem like a mother, who consoles them at her breast and dandles them upon her lap. This is the anticipation of the realization of their dreams, the city of Jerusalem that will reunite all her children as a mother. Here, also we see the metaphor, which not only speaks of Jerusalem, but also Yahweh who will send “prosperity” to her like a river. The word prosperity is linked to “shalom”. The reference to peace establishes a network of connection between the three readings. The responsorial psalm is in connection with the first reading, while the first talks about the restoration of Israel exiles, the latter is a thanksgiving for a national deliverance, well pictured in the context of the first exodus: “He changed the sea into dry land; they crossed the river on foot” (v.6). It is indeed a hymn of thanksgiving to God for his mighty work: man’s redemption.

     In the passage of today’s Gospel (Lk. 10:1-12.17-20), St. Luke presented the episode of the mission of the seventy(-two) disciples; different from the mission of the twelve which was recorded by all the three synoptic Gospels (Mt. 10:5-15; Mk. 6:7-13; Lk. 9:1-6), the mission of the seventy (seventy-two as reported by some texts) instead is peculiar to the Gospel of Luke. The number seventy-two is symbolic, and in reference to the number 12 (twelve apostles), while the mission of the twelve represents the Church’s mission to Israel, the twelve tribes, the mission of the seventy (two) is to the nations of the world according to Jewish tradition. The number seventy-two is a symbol of all Christians spread all over the world, and again it symbolizes all the people of the earth. The invitation therefore, is for all the baptized, for all Christians of all times!

     The disciples are charged to proclaim Jesus’ own message: “The kingdom of God has come near to you”. This is the content of the message we have to bring to the world in the name of Jesus. The mission is to be characterized by urgency and detachment. Another important factor emanating from this passage is that the initiative of the mission comes from the Lord and not from the disciples. The disciples returned from the mission excited by their success, but Jesus rather lessened the intensity of their excitement: “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven” (v.20). Jesus draws their attention to the more important thing, not merely the outcome of the mission but the privilege of being made partakers in the eschatological salvation. For when the disciples forget that, they may run the risk of seeing themselves as the owners of the mission and the success as their own achievement. This takes us back to the fundamental affirmation of Jesus: “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest” (v.2). The harvest is God’s and it is God who calls labourers into his harvest.

     In the Lucan account, Jesus sent 72 of his disciples on mission ad gentes; he gave them some recommendations, and some of those recommendations are not so easy to understand. This time, Jesus did not send the 12 apostles on mission, for he already sent them. But now he sent the 72 disciples, and we may well say that he sent all those that were following him, they were simple people, who demonstrated their faith in Jesus, following him after listening to his words and seeing his works. Therefore, the missionary preaching of Jesus is valid for all; it is addressed to every single Christian. Every Christian has to be aware that he or she is called to faith and salvation, not only for himself but also to be “sent” to others for an evangelical mission, not necessarily to a distant place. And that is the mission of rendering the Gospel alive, in our own social, cultural and political milieu or even beyond. Jesus did not send the 72 to a distant place, as it was in the case of the 12 apostles (go to the whole world). But he sent the 72 close to himself, to preach, to precede him in every city he was about to enter. The intension of Jesus as Luke want us to understand is to ensure that all Christians are involved in the mission of the proclamation of God’s word, not by proselytism but through a life lived in the light of the Gospel. All are called in, to and for the mission.

         Where then is the place of mission of a simple Christian today? Where are we called or sent just as baptized and confirmed Christians to enliven the richness of the Gospel message? We may begin to imagine where it could be, but the locus of our evangelization is not far-fetched. Our mission is around us, in our families, in our villages, towns, streets, places of work, even in the Church. In this sense, we are called to be missionaries even taking the Gospel to our families. But the question remains: how do I render the Gospel alive, how do I disseminate the richness of the Gospel message in the place where I live and in the place I work? What type of message do I preach to those around me, good news or bad news? Then one may further asks: how do I go about this missionary work, what are the requirements? Jesus presents some characteristics of those called to be part of the mission:

●Meekness, not force and violence: Jesus says: “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves”. He invited them to be non-violent, at the same time lambs that do not fear the wolves, because their courage and audacity comes from the victorious Cross of Christ and from the power of the Gospel.

●Detachment from everything that may make the journey heavy, “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals”, he invites them to be free and not to be slaves of material things (cf. here we can remember the experience of David: 1Sam. 17:38-40).

●We are called to be ambassadors of peace, to be persons of peace, who possess interior peace, the serenity of the spirit, “whatever house you enter, first say, ‘peace be to this house”, which above all entails possessing interior freedom. St. Paul affirmed “now that we have been justified by faith, we are at peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rm. 5:1). Our responsibility as Christians is to bring peace; it is one of the signs of the nearness of God’s kingdom. Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace, I leave you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give” (Jn. 14:27).

●To be sensitive to the weak and the needy, “heal the sick”, the same requirement he made to the 12 apostles (Lk. 9:2.6). He wanted them to go and prepare, or better clear the way for Jesus. Indeed, a Christian is and should be one who prepares the way for Jesus.

     As a matter of fact, many years ago there were places identified as mission areas or mission nations, but today nations that evangelized the mission nations are in turn need of re-evangelization. Thus, today we speak of the new Areopagus. However, the pertinent question is: where is the place of mission today? The places of mission are no longer far places, places of mission are within us, and they are here with us. We seem to experience today a turnaround situation of the Parable of Jesus (cf. Lk. 15:4-7), for the sheep are no longer ninety-nine inside and one outside, but one inside and ninety-nine outside, that is the state of things. The danger is that the shepherd today is more concerned with the one inside and not the ninety-nine outside. But it is also true in today’s context that the ninety-nine outside are not all pagans, a good number are baptized, because there is a sad reality that one can be baptized, and yet “without being Christian.” Be that as it may, if at the beginning of the missions, the preoccupation was that of implanting Christian communities in a pagan world, today the challenge is how to create Christian communities among the baptized. We are called to be missionaries of hope, but also with testimonies. We don’t need special preparation or skills for this universal mission, rather what we need is to demonstrate to those we meet and those around us that Christ is alive and has changed our life.

       The Gospel of today ends with a precious annotation, that the 72 came back full of joy because even the devil was subject to them in the name of Jesus. But Jesus’ response to them redirected their attention to something more important. He says to them: “Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. This should be their source and reason for joy, what is your own reason or source of joy? Where is your name written? In heaven or elsewhere?

        In this passage of the second reading (Gal. 6:14-18) we have a glimpse of the aim of this Pauline letter, he wrote to urge the Galatians against lapsing into syncretism. Paul reminded them that anyone who gets circumcised is obliged to keep the whole law. Paul unlike his opponents glories in the Cross and not in the circumcision. The necessary thing and what makes the difference is that the believers are recreated into the new existence. In the parlance of Paul, what matters is the new creation in Christ and not the marks of circumcision. At the heart of this new existence in Paul’s experience stands his mark of apostolic sufferings, in which the Cross of Christ is made manifest. For this he warned: “let no one trouble me; I carry branded on my body the marks of Jesus” (v.17), with that St. Paul declared his allegiance and belongingness to Christ. At this point in his life, there is a change of ownership, he now belongs to Christ, he has the “tattoo” of Christ on his body. He reminds us that the Christian experience does not have any other end, but to appropriate the life of Christ, especially in the mystery of the Cross.

     Above all else, however, we may well remember a day that prophet Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord calling, and asking: who will I send and who will go for us? The prophet responded: “Here I am, send me” (Is. 6:8). This call continues, and now it is Jesus who says: who will go for me to proclaim the Good news of salvation to the people? Blessed are those who will respond to his calling. Lord Jesus help us to be prophets of the realization of God’s promises (first reading), and missionaries / evangelizers of peace (Gospel) and of the new creation in Christ (second reading). Amen!!!

 (Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)