Then, after these things, the Lord also designated another seventy-two. And he sent them in pairs before his face, into every city and place where he was to arrive.
And he said to them: “Certainly the harvest is great, but the workers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his harvest.
Go forth. Behold, I send you out like lambs among wolves.
Do not choose to carry a purse, nor provisions, nor shoes; and you shall greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you will have entered, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’
And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.
And remain in the same house, eating and drinking the things that are with them. For the worker is worthy of his pay. Do not choose to pass from house to house.
And into whatever city you have entered and they have received you, eat what they set before you.
And cure the sick who are in that place, and proclaim to them, ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’
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Prayer on Fire Gospel Lesson
The feast of Saint Luke does not read a life of Luke. It reads the sending. Luke wrote this scene. The Church remembers him by hearing Jesus send others ahead of himself.
Where this sits
The day is the evangelist's. The Gospel chosen is not a biography. It is the mission.
The shape of a sending
Pray for workers before you go. Travel light. Do not get delayed in greetings on the road. Offer peace to a house, stay if a son of peace is there, eat what is given, heal, and announce that the kingdom has come near. The messenger does not invent the message or fund himself.
What to take
Luke's Gospel is the Gospel of the sent and the poor. Pray as one sent ahead of Jesus, with his peace and his sentence.
Original – Prayer on Fire
Gospel of the Day · Text: Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV) · Mass Lectionary · Gospel
