Daily Catholic Lectio. Sun, 6 July ‘25. A Mission of Peace, a Joy in Trial

Daily Catholic Lectio

Sun, 6 July ‘25

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 66:10–14. Galatians 6:14–18. Luke 10:1–12, 17–20

A Mission of Peace, a Joy in Trial

“What matters is a new creation!”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples, two by two, on a mission. These are not the Twelve Apostles but other committed followers ready to be sent. The harvest is indeed plentiful, and even with seventy-two workers, it is not enough—a reminder that mission is urgent and ongoing.

Jesus does not send them to inspect cities or conquer them, but rather to bless them: “Peace to this house!” Their task is to be messengers of peace. When they return with joy, Jesus gently redirects their focus—not to rejoice in what people say or do, but to find joy in their names being written in heaven. Mission is not about worldly success, but about divine communion.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks tenderly of Jerusalem as a mother, from whom the people of Israel will receive comfort and nourishment. In the second reading, St. Paul says he boasts in only one thing—the cross of Christ. For him, it is not outward observance but inward transformation that matters: “What counts is a new creation.”

St. Paul VI once said, “Modern people listen more willingly to witnesses than to teachers. And if they listen to teachers, it is because they are also witnesses.” The Catechism reminds us that the Holy Spirit sends us and acts through us (CCC 852).

Mission, then, is not about activity but presence. It is not about success but about fidelity. We are not sent alone, but in companionship. The call is not to produce results, but to sow peace and be rooted in Christ.

Too often, we define ourselves by what we do. But true joy lies not in our works, but in who we are in Christ.

One missionary priest once said: “I went out to proclaim peace to others, only to discover how deeply I needed peace myself. True joy is found in companionship.”

Our mission fields are not only distant lands or remote villages. They are our homes, parishes, workplaces. Every place where we offer peace, forgiveness, and joy becomes sacred ground.

So today, let us ask:

Where is Jesus sending me this week?

What burden must I leave behind to walk freely?

Can I sow peace wherever I go?

Mission is not only receiving comfort from Christ, but becoming comfort for others. Like St. Paul, we may carry the wounds of Christ in our bodies—trials, pain, fatigue—but we carry them in joy. Because we are not just hearers of the Word, but those who are sent.

As labourers in His harvest, let us go forth—

Not with force, but with peace.

Not with fear, but with joy.

Not alone, but two by two.

“Peace to this house!”

Let that be our Gospel in action.

Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi

Archdiocese of Madurai

Missionary of Mercy