Jesus sent out Seventy-two disciples giving them all a share in his Spirit. I would think that the Twelve were part of this number. The other Sixty must have been disciples very close to the Lord, the point is that the Seventy-two were to bring the Good News to those in their immediate world. They brought the message that Jesus was transforming the world. They showed that evil was being defeated by curing the sick and expelling demons. When they returned, wild with joy, Jesus joined right in, rejoicing with them. The victory of the Father had begun. So, who are the Seventy-two? We are the Seventy-two! We are the people who proclaim that the Great Hope of Mankind has become a reality. Jesus Christ has conquered evil Jesus Christ has died for us. Jesus Christ still lives with us. We have experienced the Lord and have become the joyful evangelizers of the Kingdom. But, we may ask, where is this Kingdom? There is much pain and suffering in the world occasioned by man’s in humanity towards man. There are always wars being waged throughout the world. The innocent are wars first victims. Closer to home, how do we proclaim the Kingdom among our own children who no longer go to Church and who haven’t even had their children, our grandchildren baptized? How are we to deal with these, our own children, who reject God? How do we deal with those who have left Catholicism to worship somewhere where there are far less demands on morality? In giving instructions to the Seventy-two before he sent them out, Jesus told them something very specific: enter a house and say, “Peace to this house.” So, the Lord is telling us to look carefully for the good within all and nurture this good, We are to be positive. St. Francis de Sales said, “You can catch more flies with honey then with vinegar.” And he said this as part of his effort on helping to the Church those who had left. If we emphasize with great care and great kindness that which we have in common, then perhaps others will be encouraged to search for other aspects of life we have in common. After spending a great deal of time, effort and even money to raise your children Catholic, one or more of them no longer practice the faith. The vinegar approach will not get you anywhere. Telling them that they are going to burn in hell is not going to convince them to come to Church. But the honey approach will have legs. If you emphasize that they are certainly good parents, doing all they can for their children, and they know you respect them as parents, you are a small step from convincing them that there is infinitely more for their children that only the Lord can provide. Most importantly, let them see your words in how you live your lives. Perhaps, perhaps in God’s time, not necessarily your time, a change will come, and you will join the Seventy-two in rejoicing. Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps you will be told to stay out of their affairs. Don’t lose you peace. Let it come back to you, and keep praying for your children. It is the same regarding the immorality in the nation and in the world. We need to be calm. We need to let our peace return to us. At the same time, we need to take stands for the truth. And we need to pray for all those supporting immoral positions. We cannot allow the reactions of others to our proclaiming the Kingdom determine whether or not we will continue to evangelize. Instead, we need to remember the reaction of the Lord to the Seventy-two when they returned home with such palpable enthusiasm. He joined in with their joy. And he joins in with our joy, when we do our best to serve him and his Church • AE

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Fr. Agustin Schedule for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (2022)

Saturday July 1, 2022

1.00 p.m. Marriage preparations sessions.

3.30 p.m. Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessional)

5.00 p.m. (English Mass @ Main Church)

Sunday July 2, 2022

12.30 p.m. Holy Mass (English Mass @ Main Church)

3.00 p.m. Santa Misa en Español (@ iglesia principal)

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XIV Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (Ciclo C)

Hay expresiones de Jesús a las que nos hemos acostumbrado sin habernos detenido nunca a extraer el contenido que encierran. Palabras que cuando sabemos escucharlas interiormente tocan nuestro ser, nos iluminan con luz nueva y nos revelan lo lejos que estamos de entender y acoger su Evangelio. ¿Cómo puede uno reaccionar si escucha con sinceridad, en su corazón, ese destino inaudito del que Jesús habla para sus discípulos: «Yo os mando como corderos en medio de lobos». En una sociedad que se nos presenta, con frecuencia, tan mezquina, tan insensible, tan agresiva e, incluso, a veces, tan cruel, ¿se puede vivir de otra manera que no sea la de defensa y ataque del lobo? En una convivencia amenazada por tanta agitación, intereses, rivalidades y enfrentamientos, ¿puede significar todavía algo el vivir «como un cordero»? Y sin embargo, hay algo atractivo en ese destino sorprendente del discípulo cristiano. Se nos llama a vivir de tal manera que los hombres puedan descubrir que la bondad y la benevolencia existen, y que la vida puede ser buena. No tiene por qué ser todo rivalidad, competencia y enfrentamiento destructor. También es posible acercarse a la vida y a las personas con otra actitud de respeto, veneración y ternura. El hombre puede ser para otro hombre no un lobo sino, sencillamente, un ser humano. Más aún: aunque nos pasamos la vida dando importancia a muchas cosas, tal vez lo único importante sea pasar por esta vida aportando al mundo un poco más de bondad, amor y ternura. Hoy más que nunca nuestra cultura está necesitada de humanidad. Cada palabra odiosa que se pronuncia, cada mentira que se dice, cada violencia que se comete, nos está empujando a todos hacia una confusión cada vez más profunda y destructiva. Pero no es fácil vivir hoy en esta actitud de respeto, comprensión y acogida. Lo fácil es endurecerse cada día más y defenderse atacando y haciendo mal. Tal vez, tengamos que empezar por pronunciar con humildad y sinceridad aquella hermosísima oración del Ladislao Boros: «Señor, he ocasionado mucho mal en tu bello mundo; debo pues soportar pacientemente lo que los demás son y lo que yo mismo soy; concédeme que pueda hacer algo para que la vida sea un poco mejor allí donde tú me has puesto, y que adí dé mi pedacito de sombra y mi mucha fruta» • AE

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