Our Gospel reading gives us a glimpse into how Jesus may have initially organized His Church. After selecting the 12 Apostles, Jesus selects 72 disciples and gives them a mandate for a mission that they need to carry out. Like John the Baptist before them, they are to go out and prepare the way of the Lord for each of the places Jesus intends to visit.
This event parallels the Book of Numbers where the Holy Spirit comes down on 72 elders at a place called Tabarah during the 40 year journey of the Israelites in the desert following the Exodus from Egypt and shortly after they began to receive Manna.
This outpouring of the Holy Spirit results in the 72 elders of Israel prophesying. Prophesying in this context was likely in the form of speaking in enraptured enthusiasm.
I think the experience of the 72 elders gives us a perspective of what it was like for these 72 disciples. As Jesus sends these 72 disciples on their mission, they are gifted with the charism of prophecy in order to convey a message of enthusiastic love and mercy...ultimately, the truth of who Jesus is and why He comes to us. Jesus sends these 72 disciples to be an enthusiastic witness to the Good News and to prepare the hearts of the people they encounter to receive Jesus Christ. I can picture the 72 disciples singing today’s psalm, “Your friends make known, oh Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.”
The moment of the 72 elders and the moment of the 72 disciples come together in the Mass. The Mass is called the Mass because of the Latin phrase “Ite missa est”, which means “Go, it is the sending”. This is the very end of the Mass, where I proclaim, “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” To which each of you respond, “Thanks be to God”.
This is your moment of 72. You have received your daily Manna (the supernatural bread from heaven), the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through the Eucharist. You have been strengthened with grace to exercise the charisms you received at Confirmation. The charisms you received explicitly for this mission: to spread His word and do His work. Or as it says in the Catechism, to truly be “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
This is your moment of 72. Though we may be sent out amongst the wolves, we have nothing to fear. To paraphrase Pope Francis, as long as we don’t venture beyond the Church’s teaching and the community of faith we carry, then we will always be one with the authentic Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will ensure our success, just as He did for the 72 disciples.
This is your moment of 72. Right now, Jesus longs to call someone in your life to Himself in the Eucharist. This is your opportunity to be Christ to someone in your life. This is your opportunity to be an instrument of God in the life of another person. This is your opportunity to prepare the way to a relationship with Christ and the ultimate blessings that come with the Eucharist and the other Sacraments.
This is your moment of 72. To paraphrase Saint Luke, whose feast day we celebrate today, to paraphrase the words of Jesus Luke captured from the time of the ascension, The Holy Spirit has come upon you and you have received great power. Now go, be my witnesses to the ends of the Earth.
Thanks be to God!
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