Gospel Reflection for The 6th day of July in the year of Our Lord, 2025
Luke 10:1-9
1 And after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come. 2 And he said to them: The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send labourers into his harvest. 3 Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way. 5 Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. 7 And in the same house, remain, eating and drinking such things as they have: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. 8 And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
Today's first reading states:
Thus says the LORD:
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the LORD:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over Jerusalem like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice
and your bodies flourish like the grass;
the LORD's power shall be known to his servants.
This promise of peace and prosperity was given by God to the Hebrew people. But, when we read the Bible, rarely do we find them at peace. We find them in slavery, fighting wars, besieged by conquerors, in famines and plagues, betrayed by their own kings, etc. Life, even in the promised land of Israel, rarely seemed to reflect God's promise. Why? Well, we know that God cannot lie. The entire universe was created by His word. All that He says is true, because all that is true has its origin in His will. The simple fact is that His chosen people would not obey. He made covenant with them and they continually broke it. Barely had He led them out of Egypt when they returned to idolatry.
Jesus said that because they rejected God and killed His prophets, what they had would be taken away. Within just a generation of the Crucifixion of our Lord, Israel was destroyed. The Holy Temple was torn down. The Jews were dispersed or taken captive. The great city of Jerusalem was leveled. In further insult, Rome named the region Palaestenia and settled the historic enemies of the Jews in the Promised Land, the Philistines.
However, God's promise did not fail. Through our Lord's death and Resurrection, a new religion was formed. The promise of God to the Hebrews was given to all the world. Through the Church He established the Kingdom of God came to rule on earth and a new Jerusalem was built. In yesterday's first reading, we are told how the inheritance of Esau was taken from him and given to his younger brother, Issac. Once again, our Lord took the rightful inheritance of the older brother, the descendants of Isaac, and gives it to us, the younger brothers and sisters of Christ.
Grace is something that cannot be earned. Grace is a gift freely given through the benevolence of the giver. What an amazing gift we have been given! Each day, we should thank God that we are Catholic, citizens of the Kingdom of God!
Judson Carroll is the author of several books, including his newest, A Daily Catholic Devotional, Reflections on the Daily Mass Readings July-December, 2025 It is Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5BHFZ7X
and
Confirmation, an Autobiography of Faith. It is also Available in paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C47Q1JNK
His podcast is The Uncensored Catholic https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-uncensored-catholic