Word to the Wise
Friday, October 3, 2025 - Friday in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
[Bar 1:15-22 and Luke 10:13-16]"Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you, rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." [Luke]
The evangelist Luke is trying to pep up the missionaries for whom he composed his gospel. The importance of spreading the message to the world is emphasized in the first verses of this chapter with the appointment of a "further seventy-two" disciples, with that number symbolizing the known nations at the time. The consequences for those who reject the message of the Kingdom of God are clearly stated.
It is easier to focus on those consequences than it is on the quality of the efforts. But a missionary cannot simply preach dire consequences. The message is far more important. Jesus is the fulfillment of humankind's deepest longings. This, then, means that the missionary must preach in a way that attracts people rather than cause them to reject the message. A "take it or leave it!" or "our way or the highway" message may mean the missionary is actually frustrating the very task for which he or she has been sent. This is more than pulpit preaching, although the Lord knows that has to improve in our Church! We must live the faith in such a way that it is attractive to others who may be looking for a community of faith, hope and love. Those who reject a message well-preached and well-lived will then suffer the consequences. But first the message must BE well-preached and well-lived! AMEN