Reading 1
Bar 4:5-12, 27-29
Fear not, my people!
Remember, Israel,
You were sold to the nations
not for your destruction;
It was because you angered God
that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker
with 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 you
the anger of God; and she said:
"Hear, you neighbors of Zion!
God has brought great mourning upon me,
For I have seen the captivity
that the Eternal God has brought
upon 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."
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 69:33-35, 36-37
R. (34) The Lord listens to the poor.
"See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.
Let the heavens and the earth praise him,
the seas and whatever moves in them!"
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
For God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
They shall dwell in the land and own it,
and the descendants of his servants shall inherit it,
and those who love his name shall inhabit it.
R. The Lord listens to the poor.
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 scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and 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 things
from the wise and the learned
you 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 Son
and 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: Luke 10:17-24
“At that very moment, Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 10:21)
Have you ever had an experience that made you so happy that you felt like jumping for joy and shouting at the top of your lungs! This is how Jesus felt when the seventy-two disciples came back from their missionary journeys with news of dramatic healings and conversions. His heart was filled with so much gratitude he couldn’t contain himself!
What was Jesus rejoicing over? That his disciples had received revelation from God—revelation of things God had hidden “from the wise and the learned” (Luke 10:21). He revealed that there is spiritual power in the name of Jesus. He showed them that they could make a difference in people’s lives.
So Jesus is rejoicing that his disciples had a successful mission. But even more so, he is rejoicing that they have received a glimpse of their heavenly inheritance. He is thrilled because they are learning that their names have been written in heaven, that their lives matter to God, and that they can bring God’s blessings to the people around them. What a privilege! No wonder Jesus rejoiced!
What do you think? Has your Father written your name in heaven? Has he given you the grace you need to live a new life? The grace to minister his love and power to the people around you? He certainly has!
So look up to heaven today and picture Jesus rejoicing over you. He is thrilled with you simply because of who you are. He rejoices in the way you reflect his goodness and his love. It is his delight to show you how much he has in store for you. You are a child of God, marked for eternal life. You are his beloved, and he wants to fill you with confidence. He wants to see you take the good news of his love to everyone you meet today—so that they can join you in rejoicing over his love.
“Father I rejoice in you! Thank you so much for empowering me with your love and your grace!”
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