3 July 2022
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s readings ask us to pray about what we boast about and what we value more: the praise of others or our salvation. Jesus sent 72 disciples out to preach the good news, to minister to others, and he gives them power to cast our demons and to cure the sick. They return, after having experienced the fruit of their ministry and they boast to Jesus about the power they had in spreading God’s word and of working miracles. Jesus reminds them what they should value more than these gifts when he says: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Having spiritual gifts is a beautiful thing, but these gifts are meant as means to help us and others attain heaven – that is the more important reality.
Jesus’ words are a powerful reminder to us today, to reflect on what we boast on as Christians: is it our ministry and the fruit that comes from it, is it in our natural or supernatural gifts as humans that others value in us, is it our jobs, salary, status, etc.? Or, as St. Paul challenges us to do, do we boast in the Cross of Christ and the reality that Christ’s cross as the means for our salvation? Said another way, do we boast of the gifts we have received, or do we boast in the giver that has given all to us? Today, let us pray for the grace to boast in Christ, boast in the Lord’s gift of salvation to us, and let all other gifts we have be used to lead others to see the beauty of Christ and the gift of his Mercy.