14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dear parishioners,

God is Good!!!  All the time!!!  And all the time!!!  God is Good!!!

Isaiah’s book ends with this lovely scene of life and bounty. This miracle was delayed for a long time because the people refused to serve the Lord, despite every effort on Isaiah’s part to show them the advantages of service to God. The exile made the difference. With all their illusions removed, the people woke up to their true purpose. Twice the prophet invites the people to exult with Jerusalem over the wonderful transformation brought about by God’s grace. Such repeated good news is characteristic of the oracles in this portion of the book.

1) Family. The prevailing image in this reading is of a mother surrounded by children. The former Jerusalem was like a woman without sons or daughters. They were taken away into exile. But because the city is now devoted to the ways of the Lord, she has become a mother with many children. As only God could accomplish, Jerusalem has brought into the world countless children without the pain of labor. She has plenty of milk to nourish them; she bounces them on her knee. This family scene is the reverse of the opening chapter of the book in which God looks for children who have wandered away in sin and ignorance.

2) Plenty. The deprivations of exile are replaced by great bounty. Prosperity and wealth flow into the city like the waters of a river. In earlier oracles, the city’s access to water was limited. They had turned away from the fountain of life. Now things have changed dramatically. People once withering for lack of water now flourish like grass in the field.

Lk is the only Gospel that has a commissioning of the Twelve disciples (9:1–6) and then a second commissioning of the 72 others (10:1–9). While the second sending is similar to the first, it seems intent on expanding the ministry to the broader world, thus the need for more disciples. As official witnesses, they are sent out in pairs.

1) The harvest is abundant. There is an urgency to this commissioning of the 72. Agricultural imagery was often employed to indicate that the time was ripe for some kind of action. Here the action is the extension of Jesus’ ministry by the newly commissioned 72. This reminds one of the 72 elders appointed by Moses to assist him in his work (Nm 11:16–17). This will be dangerous work especially for the newly commissioned. They will be like lambs among wolves.

Excerpts from “Sunday Homily Helps”, is used by permission of Franciscan Media. www.FranciscanMedia.org. All rights reserved

 Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Aloysius