The Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ ”
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The number “seventy [two]” is to be understood symbolically, just like the number twelve. The Twelve represents the reconstitution of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Seventy [-two] may allude to the “seventy elders” who accompany Moses up to the holy mountain of God (Ex 24:1). They share in God’s Spirit and are enabled to prophesy (Nm 11:24-25). Thus they are disciples who are also empowered to share the mission of the Twelve.
The Gospel pericope about the mission of the seventy [-two] anticipates the labors of missionaries, other than the Apostles, in the Acts of the Apostles. In particular, they refer to partners in mission of the Apostle Paul: Timothy and Titus – whose feast we are celebrating today – Barnabas, Silas, Luke (the author of the third Gospel and Acts), Priscilla and Aquila, Lydia, Chloe, and many others who form the “Pauline circle.”
Following the feast of the conversion of the great apostle to the Gentiles, the celebration of his close collaborators – Timothy and Titus – shows us Paul’s precious heritage: not only those whom he brought to Christ and his letters, but also his disciples and coworkers in the Gospel.
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SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632895-7328; E-mail: publishing@ stpauls.ph; Website: http:// www.stpauls.ph.
