Lk 10: 1-12, 17-20
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his 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; and greet no one on the road.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
What Is My Spiritual Principle?
As I was growing up, one Ignatian principle my parents gave me was “constantly strive to be a contemplative in action.” Everything I did, my parents taught me, ought to be an invitation to prayer. I remember my mom used to say, “Even when you are playing, make your play be a prayer.” This spiritual axiom from my parents placed me on a route I still follow today.
Today, in Luke’s account, Jesus refers to a similar dynamic when he encourages us to remember that “the kingdom of God has come near to you.” This invites us to be people who are constantly prepared to be of service to Christ. So today, ask yourself: “What spiritual principle guides my life? Am I ready to put my contemplative experiences into action? How can my every action contribute to the health and growth of God’s kingdom?”
—Patrick Saint-Jean, SJ, is a Jesuit regent and assistant professor of psychology at Creighton University. He is the Author of The Spiritual Work of Racial Justice and The Crucible of Racism.
Prayer
Jesus, teach me, I pray, to focus on the spiritual principle you gave us, so that my every action becomes a prayer to you. Amen.