Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Cycle C
July 3, 2022
In his first Rule for the Franciscan Order, Saint Francis of Assisi urged his brothers who wished to be missionaries to—in his words—“avoid quarrels or disputes and be subject to every human creature for God’s sake.” The friars were to be men of peace as they fulfilled Francis’ wish to “proclaim the word of God openly.” That Franciscan style of mission continues today, as we friars seek to discover where God is at work in different human cultures and in other religious traditions around the world. Today, most contemporary missionaries make a similar effort to look, listen, and learn from the people with whom they share the Good News.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out 72 disciples on mission. He urges them to bring a message of peace as they announce that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
We can take a cue as evangelizers in the world today from Christ as Saint Francis did. Even if we’re not formal missionaries, we’re sent out from each Eucharist into the world. We carry a message of peace. Let’s seek the good wherever God has planted it. Let’s try to learn from those who are different from us–respecting their culture and sincere beliefs–even as we announce the Kingdom.
