Labour and Love
Comments on the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
In the Reading from Isaiah 66:10-14c the metaphor switches to the Lord as mother.
* [66:10–16] The poet addresses the children born of Jerusalem, their mother. In v. 13 the metaphor switches to the Lord as mother (cf. 49:15), comforting her charges but destroying the enemies. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 66 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 66 is an invitation to praise God for powerful acts for Israel.
* [Psalm 66] In the first part (Ps 66:1–12), the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land [Ps 66:6]) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity [Ps 66:8–12]). In the second part (Ps 66:13–20), an individual from the rescued community fulfills a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. As often in thanksgivings, the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done (Ps 66:16–20). (Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB, n.d.)
The reading from the Letter to the Galatians presents Paul’s Final Appeal.
* [6:11–18] A postscript in Paul’s own hand, as was his practice (see 1 Cor 16:21; 2 Thes 3:17). Paul summarizes his appeal against his opponents (Gal 6:12–13), then returns to his message of glorying in the cross, not in circumcision, as the means of salvation (Gal 6:14–15; cf. Gal 5:11). A benediction follows at Gal 6:16. In the polemical spirit that the attack on his apostleship called forth (Gal 1:11–2:21), Paul reasserts his missionary credentials (Gal 6:17) before giving a final benediction (Gal 6:18). (Galatians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 presents The Mission of the Seventy-two.
* [10:1] Seventy[-two]: important representatives of the Alexandrian and Caesarean text types read “seventy,” while other important Alexandrian texts and Western readings have “seventy-two.”
* [10:4] Carry no money bag…greet no one along the way: because of the urgency of the mission and the singlemindedness required of missionaries, attachment to material possessions should be avoided and even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task.
* [10:5] First say, ‘Peace to this household’: see notes on Lk 2:14 and Mt 10:13.
* [10:6] A peaceful person: literally, “a son of peace.”
* [10:18] I have observed Satan fall like lightning: the effect of the mission of the seventy-two is characterized by the Lucan Jesus as a symbolic fall of Satan. As the kingdom of God is gradually being established, evil in all its forms is being defeated; the dominion of Satan over humanity is at an end. (Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB, n.d.)
Rev. Kent Beausoleil, SJ shares the Daily Reflection July 6, 2025.
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jul6
Don Schwager implores us to Pray the Lord to Send out Laborers into His Harvest.
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the texts for July 6, 2025.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, presents An Imperfect Messenger.
“I love this story so much that I have collected images of a man in the belly of the whale for much of my adult life. I think I live in that whale’s belly permanently, with loads of unresolved questions and painful paradoxes in my life. Yet God is always “vomiting” me up in the right place—in the complete opposite direction that I’ve been trying to run, like Jonah himself” (Rohr, n.d.)
References
Galatians, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/galatians/6?14
Isaiah, CHAPTER 66 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/66?10
Luke, CHAPTER 10 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?1
Psalms, PSALM 66 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/66?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved July 6, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/
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