St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Lk 10: 17-24
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.”
At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
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.
Ignatian Indifference
The disciples in today’s Gospel return from their mission of spreading the good news of Jesus. They come back excited, and likely a little surprised, that they even had power to drive out demons in Jesus’ name! In response, Jesus tells them that they have been given power to drive out evil. He reminds them, though, that their excitement should not be because of the power they have, but rather because of their place in the kingdom of heaven.
St. Ignatius’s First Principle and Foundation reminds us that we should seek neither honor or dishonor. Rather, we should be indifferent to power and prestige and focus on doing God’s will, “for everything has the potential of calling forth in us a more loving response to our life forever with God.” (First Principle and Foundation, translated by David Fleming, SJ)
—The Jesuit Prayer team
Prayer
Good and gracious God, you give us many gifts and invite us to use them according to your will. Surround us with companions on the journey who will remind us to use our gifts to build your kingdom, rather than focusing on our own glory. Let us be your instruments in our world. Amen.
—The Jesuit Prayer team