14th Sunday in Ordinary Time [C]
July 3, 2022
Luke 9:1-12, 17-20

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is sending His seventy disciples for a mission. Yes, we are reading it correctly; it is not just twelve disciples, but seventy. While we are used to the celebrated mission of the Twelve, Luke informs us about the less famous mission of the seventy. We are not sure who are these people. Perhaps, Matthias, who would replace Judas, was among them, but the rest we are almost clueless. However, for sure, these are people who have the same commitment, dedication, and passion like the big names, Peter, John, Andrew, and Matthew. These are the people who let ‘the dead’ bury their dead parents [see Luk 9:59]. These are the disciples that follow Jesus, leave everything and are willing to be dispatched into a difficult mission to preach the Kingdom, to heal the sick, and to drive out the demons.

We might also ask why seventy? If Twelve apostles represent the twelve tribes of Israel, what will the seventy signify? Surprisingly, when we go back to the Old Testament, seventy is also a significant figure. It is the sum number of the descendants of Jacob who migrated to Egypt [Gen. 46:27]. It was the number of the elders who were elected to help Moses in his task in leading Israel and to offer sacrifice in the wilderness [Exo 24:1]. Thus, seventy become the symbol of both Israel itself and the leaders of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, seventy is also the number of nations that came down from Noah [see Gen 11]. By choosing and commissioning His seventy disciples, Jesus sends His message to the world that He is establishing His New Israel with its leaders, and this Israel will include all people from all nation.

The story of the seventy disciples reminds us that the disciples of Jesus are not just the twelve. They are many others who have the same level of commitment like the Twelve yet somehow forgotten. While the Twelve represents the well-known figures of the Church like the pope and the bishops, the seventy bring to mind the nameless yet countless priests, religious men and women, and laity who are tirelessly building up the Body of Christs.

Some priests are popular among the laity because of their stormy preaching or funny homily, or actively engaged in social media, but they are countless priests who dedicate their lives to serve God’s people in the rural areas, in the middle of the tropical jungles, or in secluded islands. Perhaps, many of us do not even recognize the name of the priests who baptized us, who made us children of God! Surely, we possess Catholic laypeople who are influential in the society. We are proud of them because they are successful statesmen, businessmen, professionals, athletes, or entertainers that fearlessly acknowledge their Catholic before the public. Yet, the majority of the lay people are serving the Church and the societies without much noise. Perhaps, we do not recognize the names of catechists who teach us faith, or of Sunday School teachers who prepare us for the first communion. Definitely many of us are Catholic parents who dedicate our lives to raise God-fearing kids, but sometimes, misunderstood and unappreciated by our own children.

Our works and service may not be recognized in the eyes of the world, yet Jesus says, ‘do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’ Afterall, holiness is a quiet yet meaningful journey.

Valentinus Bayuhadi Ruseno, OP