Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
In today’s Gospel passage Jesus sends out seventy-two of His disciples to announce that “the kingdom of God is at hand…” Followers of Jesus are, by definition, called to announce a new way of life, the Kingdom of God. This kingdom is fully realized only in the life to come but already now, in this life, can begin to be experienced.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Christians pray that God’s kingdom should come “on earth as it is in heaven.” God’s kingdom is a way of life that corresponds with the truth for which we were made, a way of life that is in accord with the will and design of the God who called us into being.
Jesus sends His disciples to announce and give witness to a way of living and acting that may often be contrary to the ways of the world, to popularly accepted beliefs and practices. Christians are commissioned to live the truth in love. But it will not always be easy and will often be resisted. Jesus warned the first disciples that He was “sending you like lambs among wolves.”
Disciples who faithfully live and support the Church’s teachings on marriage and family life, on the inviolability of human life, and on other issues that come up in the public square, may feel like they have been sent like lambs among wolves.
Most of us have natural inclination to avoid conflict and promote harmony. Thus, when confronted by angry resistance we might be tempted to waiver in our commitment to the truth. But with God’s grace we can stand firm in the truth and do so, not with angry or defensive rhetoric, but by imitating the compassion and love of Christ. We are called to proclaim the truth, but to always do so in love.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
