Reading 1
Bar 4:5-12, 27-29
Fear not, my people!Remember, Israel,You were sold to the nationsnot for your destruction;It was because you angered Godthat you were handed over to your foes.For you provoked your Makerwith sacrifices to demons, to no-gods;You forsook the Eternal God who nourished you,and you grieved Jerusalem who fostered you.She indeed saw coming upon youthe anger of God; and she said:
“Hear, you neighbors of Zion!God has brought great mourning upon me,For I have seen the captivitythat the Eternal God has broughtupon my sons and daughters.With joy I fostered them;but with mourning and lament I let them go.Let no one gloat over me, a widow,bereft of many:For the sins of my children I am left desolate,because they turned from the law of God.
Fear not, my children; call out to God!He who brought this upon you will remember you.As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,turn now ten times the more to seek him;For he who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.”
Gospel
Lk 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemyand nothing will harm you.Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to the childlike.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father.No one knows who the Son is except the Father,and who the Father is except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.For I say to you,many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,but did not see it,and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
Meditation:
Baruch 4:5-12,27-29
Did you catch the strong rejoicing theme that runs through all three of today’s readings?
Psalm 69 tells us: “You who seek God, take heart!” (Psalm 69:33), not just when your prayers are answered but in the seeking as well. Although the psalmist describes himself as “sunk into the mire of the deep” and “afflicted and in pain” (69:3,30), he still invites heaven and earth to join him in singing praise (69:35). Counting on God’s promises, he knows God will hear his prayers and rescue him.
In Baruch, Jerusalem is described as weeping for her exiled children, whom God has punished for turning away from him. Yet through her tears she continues to intercede for them, trusts the Lord for their welfare, and already rejoices in anticipation of the mercy that will soon reach them. She advises her children to reject fear, to be patient, and to call out to God, not in desperation but in joyful expectation.
In Luke, Jesus directs his disciples to the best place to find their joy—not so much in what they are able to do but in their relationship with the Father who loves them and has written their names in his book. He encourages them not to look “downward” at the things that are subject to them (demons, sickness, and the like) but “upward” at the One who holds them in his hands.
All three of these readings tell us that we can rejoice through our tears. We can rejoice even as we cry out for God’s intervention. We can rejoice in his sure love for us. That love is a present reality, even as we wait for clarity or the resolution of difficulties that threaten to overwhelm us. The Lord of the universe created each of us to know him and to be united with him now and forever. His only Son came to live with us and to conquer our worst fears. His Spirit is alive and active in us, forming us as his sons and daughters. Even when we forget him or turn away from him, God will never abandon us. So take a deep breath, and rejoice!
“Jesus, you know me inside and out. Your heart holds all my tears. When I am feeling sad, remind me to lift my face and fix my eyes on you. Confident in your love for me, I rejoice.”
Psalm 69:33-37; Luke 10:17-24
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