＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

2 Timothy 4:10-17b

 You must know that

Demas has deserted me for the love of this world: he returned to Thessa­lonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephe­sus.

Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos’ house and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander the metalworker has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.

At my first hearing in court no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength to proclaim the Word fully, and let all the pagans hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

 

Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18

Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Luke 10:1-9

 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “The har­vest is rich, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his harvest. Courage!

I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.

 Whatever house you enter, first bless them saying: ‘Peace to this house.’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.

 When they welcome you in any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there and say to them: ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’

 

 Gospel Reflection：

The Gospel of Luke presents a unique account of Jesus appointing seventy disciples. In other text such as Luke, it is seventy two. This is aside from the common tradition of the sending of the Twelve (Apostles).

Seventy is a symbolic number in the beble. It represents the sum of fullness of entities. In the book of Genesis 10, the table of nations lists seventy nations of the world.

Abraham emerges from these nations as the head of a new people of God’s choosing in Genesis 12, Abraham, in turn, through Jacob, becomes a family of seventy that goes down to Egypt in Genesis 46:27.

Thus the number seventy has great significance in the Jewish mentality. It does not only denote its literal meaning. It anticipates the countless men and women who will later on advance the good news of Jesus Christ to the known world.