T oo often, we are satisfied with doing the “right” things. We go to church, tend to our sickly parents, enroll our children in school, but we forget that we have a much higher purpose; to share God’s love.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Nehemiah 8:1-4a, 5-6, 7b-12

Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

L uke 10:1-12 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. (2) And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. (3) Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. (4) Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. (5) Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!' (6) And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. (7) And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. (8) Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; (9) heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.' (10) But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, (11) `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come  near.' (12) I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Meditation by Carol Zuegner

I like trying to imagine what it must have been like to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus during his life.  These often seemingly common men and women  accomplished great things, and the gospels often show their very human sides.  What must it have been like to be sent away to prepare for Jesus to visit towns? The instructions in today’s gospel don’t make it appear to be an easy task.  This is no easy journey, no first-class junket.  The disciples hear the harvest is plenty, but laborers few.  They’ll be like lambs among wolves. They won’t have money or lunch.  These were truly road warriors.  But they did it.  We know that they had questions sometimes, and doubts. They still did it. 

That’s an important lesson for me. I need to keep taking the steps of my journey, even when I am not feeling particularly close to God. Remembering to do the little things, such as a quick prayer when I wake up; and a thank-you to God when grace helps me say the right thing in a difficult conversation; the time to center myself and reflect on the small blessings that I encounter everyday.

The deeds of the disciples and the small things that we each can do are brought together today as it is the feast of Saint Thérèse, virgin and doctor of the church. She’s also known as the Little Flower.  Though she lived in a cloister and died very young, she sought to find holiness in everyday life and everyday actions because she realized that she was probably not going to perform great deeds for God.

We have to listen for our own call and find holiness in life. For some that call will be for the road, and for some, the journey will take place closer to home. We have to be open and ready for the trip.

Supplementary Reading

Go THE EXTRA mIlE

I have obeyed all these commandments. What else do I need to do? – Matthew 19:20

I love my new job. I get better pay and benefits, and the job description fits my profile. But that’s not what makes this job better than my previous one. My new company’s aim is to implement effective services to 18 schools throughout the country, optimize the use of resources among them and provide savings through a more centralized network.

That sounds like any company concerned with maximizing profits, right? The difference lies in our mission to use the savings to provide education for the young, with preference to the poor.

In other words, the money that we gain goes to scholarships and to funding schools in impoverished areas. This altruistic purpose gives meaning to an otherwise ordinary job.

It makes me realize that we can turn any task, be it big or small, into something greater by simply changing our purpose.

Too often, we are satisfied with doing the “right” things. We go to church, tend to our sickly parents, enroll our children in school, but we forget that we have a much higher purpose; to share God’s love.

If we look around, we’ll find that God gives plenty of chances to turn what is “just right” into something more meaningful.Cecil lim

REFLECTION:

Turn ordinary tasks into opportunities to share God’s love.

Lord, remind me of my real purpose.