Jessel Pradeep Cutinha csc –
Readings: Neh 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12; Lk 10: 1-12
The readings of the day speak about the importance of the word of God in our life. The book of Nehemia today highlights the importance of the word of God, for the word of God guides us and transforms us.
In the gospel of the day Jesus sends his seventy-two disciples to proclaim the word of God to the people. The word of God is very powerful, it is like two-edged sword. The impact of this word on the people of Israel was so deep, that the prophet Nehemiah says, people wept and there was transformation in their lives.
Today we too are sent out like the seventy-two disciples to preach the gospel to others through our lives, but we will be faced with challenges on our journey to spread the Kingdom of God. There may be rejections, difficulties in living and preaching the gospel. We need to be prepared for rejections as well as acceptance.
Spreading God’s word demands sacrifices and openness to remain humble. We are sent as lambs in the midst of wolves. In the presence of the wolves, the lambs cannot defend themselves. As lambs we always need the help of our shepherd, Jesus. Technology and social media can come into our lives like wolves with their negative impacts on us. To deal with them effectively we need the divine grace that flows from our union with the Lord.