I send you. Hostility. Closeness

Today’s Gospel passage, taken from the tenth Chapter of the Gospel of Luke (vv. 1-12, 17-20), makes us consider how necessary it is to invoke God, “the Lord of harvest to send out laborers” (v. 2). The “laborers” whom Jesus speaks of are the missionaries of the Kingdom of God, whom he himself calls and sends on “ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come” (v. 1). Their task is to proclaim a message of salvation addressed to everyone. Missionaries always proclaim a message of salvation to everyone; not only those missionaries who go afar, but we too, [are] Christian missionaries who express a good word of salvation. This is the gift that Jesus gives us with the Holy Spirit. This message is to say: “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (v. 9), because God has “come near” to us through Jesus; God became one of us; in Jesus, God reigns in our midst, his merciful love overcomes sin and human misery.

This is the Good News that the “laborers” must bring to everyone: a message of hope and comfort, of peace and charity. When Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him into the villages, he tells them: “first, say ‘Peace be to this house!’ [...]; heal the sick in it” (vv. 5, 9). All of this signifies that the Kingdom of God is built day by day and already offers on this earth its fruits of conversion, of purification, of love and of comfort among men. It is a beautiful thing! Building day by day this Kingdom of God that is to be made. Do not destroy, build!

With what spirit must disciples of Jesus carry out this mission? First of all they must be aware of the difficult and sometimes hostile reality that awaits them. Jesus minces no words about this! Jesus says: “I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves” (v. 3). This is very clear. Hostility is always at the beginning of persecutions of Christians; because Jesus knows that the mission is blocked by the work of evil. For this reason, the laborer of the Gospel will strive to be free from every kind of human conditioning, carrying neither purse nor bag nor sandals (cf. v. 4), as Jesus counseled, so as to place reliance solely in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ. This means abandoning every motive of personal advantage, careerism or hunger for power, and humbly making ourselves instruments of the salvation carried out by Jesus’ sacrifice.

A Christian’s mission in the world is splendid, it is a mission intended for everyone, it is a mission of service, excluding no one; it requires a great deal of generosity and above all setting one’s gaze and heart facing on High, to invoke the Lord’s help. There is a great need for Christians who joyfully witness to the Gospel in everyday life. The disciples, sent out by Jesus, “returned with joy” (v. 17). When we do this, our heart fills with joy. This expression makes me think of how much the Church rejoices, she revels when her children receive the Good News thanks to the dedication of so many men and women who daily proclaim the Gospel: priests — those brave parish priests whom we all know —, nuns, consecrated women, missionary men and women.... I ask myself — listen to the question —: how many of you young people who are now present today in the Square, hear the Lord’s call to follow him? Fear not! Be courageous and bring to others this guiding light of apostolic zeal that these exemplary disciples have given to us.

Let us pray to the Lord, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, that the Church may never lack generous hearts that work to bring everyone the love and kindness of our heavenly Father.

[Pope Francis, Angelus 3 July 2016]

86 Last modified on Friday, 06 February 2026 05:55

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don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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St Teresa of Avila wrote: «the last thing we should do is to withdraw from our greatest good and blessing, which is the most sacred humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ» (cf. The Interior Castle, 6, ch. 7). Therefore, only by believing in Christ, by remaining united to him, may the disciples, among whom we too are, continue their permanent action in history [Pope Benedict]

Santa Teresa d’Avila scrive che «non dobbiamo allontanarci da ciò che costituisce tutto il nostro bene e il nostro rimedio, cioè dalla santissima umanità di nostro Signore Gesù Cristo» (Castello interiore, 7, 6). Quindi solo credendo in Cristo, rimanendo uniti a Lui, i discepoli, tra i quali siamo anche noi, possono continuare la sua azione permanente nella storia [Papa Benedetto]

Just as he did during his earthly existence, so today the risen Jesus walks along the streets of our life and sees us immersed in our activities, with all our desires and our needs. In the midst of our everyday circumstances he continues to speak to us; he calls us to live our life with him, for only he is capable of satisfying our thirst for hope (Pope Benedict)

Come avvenne nel corso della sua esistenza terrena, anche oggi Gesù, il Risorto, passa lungo le strade della nostra vita, e ci vede immersi nelle nostre attività, con i nostri desideri e i nostri bisogni. Proprio nel quotidiano continua a rivolgerci la sua parola; ci chiama a realizzare la nostra vita con Lui, il solo capace di appagare la nostra sete di speranza (Papa Benedetto)

"Beloved" of God (cf. Lk 1: 28). Origen observes that no such title had ever been given to a human being, and that it is unparalleled in all of Sacred Scripture (cf. In Lucam 6: 7). It is a title expressed in passive form, but this "passivity" of Mary, who has always been and is for ever "loved" by the Lord, implies her free consent, her personal and original response: in being loved, in receiving the gift of God, Mary is fully active, because she accepts with personal generosity the wave of God's love poured out upon her [Pope Benedict]

"Amata" da Dio (cfr Lc 1,28). Origene osserva che mai un simile titolo fu rivolto ad essere umano, e che esso non trova riscontro in tutta la Sacra Scrittura (cfr In Lucam 6,7). E’ un titolo espresso in forma passiva, ma questa "passività" di Maria, che da sempre e per sempre è l’"amata" dal Signore, implica il suo libero consenso, la sua personale e originale risposta: nell’essere amata, nel ricevere il dono di Dio, Maria è pienamente attiva, perché accoglie con personale disponibilità l’onda dell’amore di Dio che si riversa in lei [Papa Benedetto]

Jesus seems to say to the accusers: Is not this woman, for all her sin, above all a confirmation of your own transgressions, of your "male" injustice, your misdeeds? (John Paul II, Mulieris Dignitatem n.14)

Gesù sembra dire agli accusatori: questa donna con tutto il suo peccato non è forse anche, e prima di tutto, una conferma delle vostre trasgressioni, della vostra ingiustizia «maschile», dei vostri abusi? (Giovanni Paolo II, Mulieris Dignitatem n.14)

Here we can experience first hand that God is life and gives life, yet takes on the tragedy of death (Pope Francis)

Qui tocchiamo con mano che Dio è vita e dona vita, ma si fa carico del dramma della morte (Papa Francesco)

The people thought that Jesus was a prophet. This was not wrong, but it does not suffice; it is inadequate. In fact, it was a matter of delving deep, of recognizing the uniqueness of the person of Jesus of Nazareth and his newness. This is how it still is today: many people draw near to Jesus, as it were, from the outside (Pope Benedict)

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