18/10/2023

Dissent and division have accompanied the Church since the very earliest days. The fact that Paul mentions the trouble making copper-smith by his name indicates that his dissent had to be taken seriously. Some of us leave the Church for the same reasons as Demas. The complete collapse of public worship in Europe is certainly another "going to Thessalonica" for former followers of the way prepared by St Paul.

St Luke stayed with Paul and was a "friend of God who made known the glorious splendour of his reign". There is no complete scholarly agreement about the men who actually composed the books of the New Testament. The books that we now consider to be the authentic message of Father, Son and holy Spirit to support us in this world were codified in the fourth century as a measure to combat heresies which had grown along with the Church.

None of the evangelists name any of these 72 who went ahead of the Lord to prepare the way through Palestine that Jesus intended to take. The message that they had to proclaim was that the Kingdom of God was near to them. They would undoubtedly talk about the miracles that they had witnessed and about the "aura" of the Lord which attracted "multitudes" as a magnet draws in iron-filings to itself. The Resurrection was to prove the truth of their proclamation "The Kingdom of God is near".

Dear Lord help me to sincerely live according to your will for me. May my penitence grow greater as my sins get farther and farther behind me. Let me accept your Word in humility and ponder it throughout this day. May Mary and all the saints of heaven pray that the violence that always stains your homeland with blood come to a halt and that you accept the unjustly slain into your peace. Let that "peace" carried by the 72 finally come to rest to make your chosen ones live in a truly Holy Land.