Saturday of the Twenty Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Bruno, Priest
Saint Marie Rose Durocher

Biographical Information about St. Bruno[1]
Biographical Information about St. Marie Rose Durocher

Readings for Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time[2]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Commentary:

Reading 1 Bar 4:5-12, 27-29

This passage marks the change in the Book of Baruch from the lessons taught to the people through their exile to a representation of Jerusalem. The holy city is given voice as it laments the sin of the people who have turned away from God and will be carried away as a punishment.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 69:33-35, 36-37
R. The Lord listens to the poor.

As if responding to the cry of Zion (Jerusalem) above, this passage from the lament of Psalm 69 pleads for salvation and hope that the Lord will provide help for those faithful to him.

Gospel Lk 10:17-24

The return of the Seventy (Two) gives rise to the prayer of Jesus who turns the victory of the disciples into a means to glorify the Father. The Lord gives thanks that God has seen fit to reveal his identity and pass on his power to these disciples of his.

Reflection:

“…do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

We can look back at this event and immediately empathize with the returning disciples. They were sent out to spread the Good News and given authority to cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus. We can imagine their surprise and delight when what they had thought was impossible worked and of course, in this less skeptical time, their astonishing works would have given them great credibility among the populations they visited. Is it any wonder that they came back enthusiastic to report their success?

The Lord sees a danger here. His friends, while they are given his mission, might forget just who it is they serve and what the grander vision is so he brings them back to earth. He reminds them that the real reason they should rejoice was because God had seen fit to honor them with a place in his heavenly kingdom. All good things are only accomplished through God and with his help. Human pride and vanity have not place in God’s work. It was this revelation Jesus celebrates.

This is the lesson for us today. The disciples were sent out with a mission, just as we are sent out with a mission. They accomplished great things because their faith in Jesus was strong and the mission worthy. Jesus reminds us that our success is due to God’s loving help and that through that success we see the Father’s favor rest upon us. That favor, that grace is what should be celebrated, not our feeble efforts.

When we accomplish a victory and start to congratulate ourselves for a “fine job of work” we need to pull up short and remember that we should instead be thanking God the Father. Jesus did it when he heard the reports of success from his friends. Even he, the Messiah, did not say “See how wonderful I am. I sent you out and you were able to do miracles in my name. Am I not great?” No, even the Lord of Life stopped and thanked the Father in prayer. What a great example to us.

Pax
[1] The image is St. Bruno, no artist or date were cited, however the work is in the public domain.
[2] After Links to Readings Expire