Nov. 29, 2022 – Luke 10:21-24
As Christmas and all that it means approaches, the Gospel reminds us of the enormous privilege we have, that of knowing and loving Jesus.
When the seventy-two disciples returned, having successfully completed their mission, Jesus rejoiced with them and, exulting with joy, thanked the Father with a spontaneous prayer expressing three ways of feeling: Jesus rejoices, praises and gives thanks to the Father, Lord of heaven and earth. In the arcane divine designs the Almighty reveals to the little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Not to the wise, not to the learned of this world as we might think, but to the humble, to the pure in heart, to all who know how to preserve or recover the childhood of God’s Spirit. We may also think that this joy of Jesus comes from the thought of his most holy Mother, the humble handmaid, the one who can sing that God has
looked upon the humility of his servant, whereby he did great things in her.
Moreover, the reason for Jesus’ deep joy lies as well in hearing the experiences of his disciples and perceiving their contentment with the works done in his name.
The motive for Jesus’ joy is the well-being of others; it is not
is a superficial joy because it comes from the Holy Spirit. The reason for joy is that the disciples and disciples will experience something of Jesus during their missionary experience.
Jesus calls them “little ones.” Who are the “little ones?” They are the seventy-two disciples (Lk 10:1) returning from the mission: fathers and mothers of families, boys and girls, married and single, old and young. They are not doctors; they are simple people, without much study, who understand the things of God better than doctors. “Yes, Father, for so it pleased You!” It pleases the Father that the doctors and wise men do not understand the things of the Kingdom and that the little ones understand them instead. Therefore, if the great ones want to understand the things of the Kingdom, they must become disciples of the little ones! For good workers…
– Let us humbly acknowledge our littleness and entrust it to Him who does not fear it, but fills it with Himself, making us through the Holy Spirit, His brothers and sons of the same Father.
– If things around us are not quite right, this does not mean that we cannot continue to seek the Lord, to bless Him, to praise Him and to thank Him for the Beauty ever present outside and within us.
Fr Joby Kavungal RCJ