Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
GOD’S WORD AND COMMUNITY
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
In the first reading, we see how the Feast of Tabernacles, originally a harvest feast for wheat and vintage, was spiritualized into a feast remembering the exodus and the renewal of the covenant. The Word of God was read to the people. The word came as a source of great joy and stirred their hearts. Thus it helped greatly to build up the community.
Few people are impressed by the fact that a bishop lives a life of poverty in a big palace or that priests or sisters are sober and restrained in their personal living when they use rich and powerful means and institutions to bring God to people. Missionaries, however dedicated and serving they may be, are not very convincing and have a hard time to build community if they import powerful means from outside. When Jesus sends out his missionaries to evangelize the poor, he wants them to be, like him, poor among the poor. True, evangelical poverty is an ideal not easy to attain. But does it still move us?
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you speak your word
and it challenges us
to give you a response.
You speak your word,
and it gathers together
those who are willing to listen.
Let it build us into a community
responsive to you in loyalty
and eager to follow your living Word,
Jesus Christ, our Lord for ever.
Responsorial Psalm
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye;
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Bless the LORD, all you angels,
you ministers, who do his will.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
The Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them, two by two, ahead of him to every town and place where he was to go himself.
He said to them:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest.
Set off without a purse, a bag, or sandals, and do not stop at the homes of those you know.
When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you.
Heal the sick there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near to you.’
Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for certain that the kingdom of God is near to you.’
I tell you, on the Day of Judgment, it will be better for Sodom than for this town.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For those who speak the word of God, that they themselves may be filled with it and out of this fullness proclaim it with conviction and warmth, we pray:
– For those who hear the word of God, that they may receive it and treasure it in their hearts and let it bear fruits of justice and peace, we pray:
– For us, that we may let the word of God free us from banality and fear, our securities and certainties, and give us deeper insight in our faith, that we may live as we believe, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
speak among us over this bread and wine
your living Word Jesus Christ.
Break the bread of strength for us
and pour the wine that unties our tongues,
that we may speak with our lives
a message of hope and joy.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Speak, Lord, your servants listen.
Speak and tell us, who you are
and what you expect of us.
Speak to us in the events of life
and through the people we encounter.
Speak to us in the silence
of our emptiness and your apparent absence.
And make it quiet in our hearts
that we may hear you
and respond to you
in the strength of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
A community lives by the word of God. It is its heart and soul. The word calls them together, it inspires them, it sends them our to share it with others. May you always listen attentively and eagerly to the word of God, and may God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
2 October 2025
The Guardian Angels and Our Mission of Simplicity
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Guardian Angels. It is a feast that reminds us of God’s tenderness, his closeness, and his constant care for us. Each of us has an angel who walks beside us, not as a distant figure, but as a companion who guards us, guides us, and whispers to our hearts the way of the Gospel. As Pope Francis had said, “No one journeys alone, and no one should think that they are alone. This companion is always with us!”
The Gospel of Luke gives us a broader vision of this mission. Jesus sends out seventy disciples—far more than the Twelve. To the Jewish mind, this number was full of meaning. Seventy were the elders who shared Moses’ burden in the wilderness. Seventy was the number of the Sanhedrin, the council that guided Israel. And seventy was believed to be the number of nations in the world. Luke’s point is clear: the mission of Jesus is not narrow or exclusive—it is universal. Every nation, every people, every heart is called to hear the good news of God’s kingdom.
But Jesus also gives clear instructions: “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals.” Travel light. Be free. Do not let possessions or comforts weigh you down. This reminds us of our Guardian Angels, who are totally free for God, uncluttered by anything that distracts them. They accompany us so that we too may walk lightly, keeping our eyes on Christ.
Nehemiah gives us another image: the people listening attentively to the Word of God. They stand for hours as Ezra reads from the law, and they weep as they hear it. The Word pierces their hearts. But Ezra and Nehemiah remind them: “Do not be sad. The joy of the Lord is your strength.” God’s Word does not condemn—it gives life. Like the Guardian Angels, it leads us back to joy, to peace, to the freedom of knowing we are loved and accompanied.
Today, let us thank the Lord for the gift of our Guardian Angels. And let us ask for the grace to live simply, humbly, joyfully—ready to be sent wherever the Lord calls.
Prayer:
Guardian Angels, companions of our journey, help us to walk lightly, to trust deeply, and to follow Jesus with joy. Protect us from evil, guide us in truth, and lead us at last into the Father’s embrace. Amen.
Do you understand?
The Gospel of today narrates the appointment of the "other 72" who were called to go ahead of the Lord to prepare the soil - to prepare the hearts of the people - so that they might be ready to receive the Gospel of salvation.
Here are a few things I would like to point out: it is interesting that this evangelizing mission is not only for the apostles but for all disciples of Christ. Our baptism entrusts each of us with the responsibility of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. It is possible that one of the great sins of omission in our church is that we may have forgotten this "commission" and have moved on with our lives as if it had no bearing on our commitment to the Church and our Christian lives.
The task is not easy, “like lambs among wolves,” as the saying goes, but it is our duty. In order to accomplish this mission, a peaceful and compassionate heart is necessary, one that shares the life of the people he or she is sent to, heals the body and mind of those who are sick, and most importantly, one that doesn't hold grudges against those who do not welcome the messengers or the message; the judgement is left to God. Our mission is to welcome rather than alienate, to heal without judging, and to leave behind rather than reproach.
Am I (are we) mission-oriented?
3 October 2024
The Mission
Today's Gospel passage mentions that "the Lord appointed seventy men and sent them out in twos ahead of him into every town and place where he intended to go." The number seventy held symbolic significance for the Jews: it represented the elders chosen to assist Moses in leading and directing the people in the wilderness (Numbers 11:16-17; Numbers 11:24-25), as well as the number of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. This connection suggests that the seventy men were intended to serve as helpers of Jesus in his mission
It's interesting to note that one of the towns where Jesus pronounced woe is Chorazin. It's implied that Jesus did many mighty works there. However, in the gospels, Chorazin is never even mentioned as a place of Jesus’ activity, and we do not know anything about what Jesus did or spoke there. This highlights how much we still have to learn about the life of Jesus. It reminds us that the gospels are not biographies but only glimpses into his life.
This passage highlights some essential guidelines for participating in Jesus' mission: Material possessions should not weigh down the preacher; he should travel lightly and not be entangled in worldly things. The preacher should focus on his mission and not be distracted by trivial matters.
The disciples are sent in twos, which shows that the Gospel is not entrusted to the creativity of an individual but is the result of collective effort. Whoever speaks on behalf of Christ does not act independently but is in unity with fellow believers. The initial evangelists following Jesus' ascension—Peter and John (Acts 8:14), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1)—made it a point to travel in pairs, never alone.
Praying to the Lord of the harvest is not merely a request for more workers, but a transformative process for the disciple. Prayer provides stability, a positive attitude, and inner peace; it humbles the disciples, helping them conquer opposition, setbacks, and failures. It reveals, step by step, the intentions of the ‘Lord of the harvest,' empowering the disciples and strengthening their spiritual resolve.