Luke depicts two pairings in today’s gospel reading. The first shows Jesus sending out His disciples two by two (Lk. 10:1). Luke traces the ancestry of Jesus back to Adam in Eden (Lk. 3:23-38), where God made the humans and animals in pairs. A ‘new’ created order was now taking place, as each pair of disciples was commissioned by Jesus to spread the good news and be sources of support for each other. The second pairing shows Jesus combining two actions charged to the disciples, “cure the sick” and proclaim “the kingdom of God is at hand” (Lk. 10:9). A tangible sign of the presence of God’s kingdom is the healing of someone who is suffering in the mind, heart, body or spirit. Jesus heals and saves the whole person, and this is the power He gives to every believer. Today, strive to be real sources of support for others, as we allow our words and actions to effect true healing. Lord Jesus, fill us with the power of Your Spirit, so that we may live our calling to be companions, and bring Your healing to others. Amen.

Blessings,

Fr. Howie

READINGS

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/101818.cfm