Rejoice that your names are written in heaven

Fr Paul reads today’s Gospel from Luke (10:17-24) in which the seventy-two return to Jesus rejoicing.

Interestingly, it is only in Luke, Fr Paul says, that we hear of the return of the seventy-two disciples from their mission. It is only in Luke that we are told they are sent out in the first place.  As we hear this Gospel, we share in theirs and Jesus’ joy of the success of the mission.  They have experienced the casting out of demons. They have experienced wonders. They have performed cures for those who are sick. And, all of this has been done in the name of Jesus.

We even see towards the beginning of the Gospel, the devil falling from heaven.   This indicates the promise that Jesus has the power to, totally, triumph over evil and that is certainly worth rejoicing about!

For our reflection today, Fr Paul invites us to call to mind those areas in our life we struggle with, either from time to time or on a more constant basis; and, mindful from the Gospel, that Jesus has the power to totally triumph over any kind of evil, let us put our faith and trust in that power, in the name of Jesus.