Lk. 10:17-24: “Father, I thank you, because you have…revealed these things to the…little ones”

This passage shows us the seventy-two disciples who return full of joy after the mission entrusted to them by Jesus. They are amazed at the power of Jesus’ Name, even the spirits submit. But the Master gives them a fundamental warning: true joy is not in power or success. Jesus opens their eyes to the deepest dimension of mission; it is not dominion over evil that gives meaning, but communion with God and fraternity.

The Kingdom is received as a gift and is manifested especially to the small and simple, to the open-hearted and trusting, not to the wise or to the understanding according to the criteria of the world. Today we are invited to trust in the certainty that we are children of God and that our name is kept in His heart.

Celebrating the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi invites us to seek peace, to interconnect with all creation, and to commit ourselves to the care of our “common home”, the Earth. Today more than ever it is a prophetic commitment of the followers of Jesus. What are we doing to care for the most vulnerable beings in our “common home”?