Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 8, 2007 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Isaiah 66:10-14C; Galatians 6:14-18 and Luke 10:1-12, 17-20]The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name." Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightening from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice ecause the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because you names are written in heaven."
It is a common occurrence in high school and college retreat ministry (and in other retreat ministries) that when students experience the opportunity to be a part of a retreat team that they find the experience very exciting. It is for many of them a first taste of ministry, even if the circumstances are controlled and strongly supervised. Young religious in initial formation experience some of the same feelings. But it is very important that there be a mentor to help the new minister reflect on what has happened. One can see this phenomenon at work in the story of today's gospel. Jesus gives his disciples some instructions and send them out "in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit." Their job is to prepare the way, but he gives them a lot of power to accomplish some of the same things he is doing. The danger is in getting too enamored of the power and forgetting that it exists solely for the purpose of service. I remember well the cartoon in Walt Disney's FANTASIA in which Mickey Mouse plays the Sorcerer's Apprentice. He quickly learns that the spell he casts on the broom to make it haul water for him can get out of hand and catastrophe occurs. There is more to ministry than spectacular exorcism or exercise of authority. There IS satisfaction in helping other people. The rejoicing is that other people are helped, and not that the minister has the authority to help them. Otherwise it is very easy to forget where the authority came from and why the minister has it! AMEN
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