At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
We have just experienced a modern example of this Gospel with the arrival of our sisters, the Disciples of Jesus. Friday, July 1st was a day of joy and celebration for our community.
Jesus said,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
We asked the master of the harvest for more laborers. And the sisters heard Him. The master of the harvest has sent more laborers to work among us. We are truly blest.
If you have met our new laborers, the sisters, you know the joy they spread. It is not that we were lacking in joy, but there is little joy to compare with the joy of a faithful, consecrated religious sister. They will be saying to us, like the missionaries Jesus sent out,
‘Peace to this household.’
They will greet all of us as Jesus instructed his missionaries,
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
When they say to us,
‘Peace to this household.’
We must be open to greet them and rejoice in their message. Jesus says,
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
The Convent has now been totally repaired and refurbished, to receive the sisters, thanks to your generosity. The sisters have now occupied the Convent, permanently. Jesus said to his first missionaries,
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.
The sisters will stay and serve here, in our parish, hopefully forever. We must continue to support them. They will be a light of joy and expectation to us, and the entire Diocese.
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
We pray that by receiving them and collaborating with them, our names and theirs will be written in heaven.
Our parish has received a great blessing. They will remind us Jesus words,
‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Let us now give thanks to God.