Cycle [C] 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Is. 66:10-14; Gal. 6:14-18; Lk. 10:1-12, 17-20

The passage from the Gospel of Luke brings to our attention how Jesus appointed seventy disciples and sent them on ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place where He Himself intended to go. 

Jesus sent them out with clear instructions. He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the lord of the harvest to send out labourers into the harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals”. This is a clear warning not to put our trust in human means.

Jesus reminded the disciples what the psalmist has pronounced, “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.”  When we trust in God with the

Cycle [C] 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 1 Kgs. 19:16b, 19-21; Gal. 5:1, 13-18; Lk. 9:51-62

In the middle of the first century BC, Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain with his Roman legions. He took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military campaign. He ordered his men to march to the edge of the Cliffs of Dover, and he commanded them to look down on the water below. To their amazement, they saw every ship in which they had crossed the English Channel engulfed in flames. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of retreat back to Rome. Since his soldiers were unable to return to the continent, their only real option was to advance. So they committed themselves to following Caesar. They went forth and conquered Britain. 

Today’s reading speaks of the cost of discipleship. During the First Reading, we heard that the Lord commissioned Elijah to anoint Elisha, the son of Shaphat, as the prophet to succeed him.

Cycle [C] The Body and Blood of Christ

Gen. 14:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Lk. 9:11b-17

Today, we are celebrating the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is a Feast in remembrance of Jesus' command to us to celebrate the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Today’s Gospel says that Jesus spoke to the crowds about the Kingdom of God and healed those who needed to be cured.

As the day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, 'Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.'

But Jesus said to them, 'You give them something to eat.'

When Jesus saw that the people were hungry, he fed them. And finally he instituted the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist to nourish the spiritual life of his followers.