LUCAS 10:1-9 says: “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place, where he himself was to go. And he said to them, “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”….
Lucas reports a mission of the seventy-two after the mission of the Twelve. There were twelve Apostles, according to the number of the tribes of Israel: this means that, at first, the Gospel was proclaimed to the people of Israel. Then came the mission of the seventy-two; these numbers symbolized the multitude of pagan nations. This mission, then, is a figure of the task that is the responsibility of the Church until the end of the world: to evangelize all nations.
When the Church has been present long enough in a particular place, we tend to believe that everyone has had the opportunity in the best of circumstances, many families, especially the poorest ones, have waited for years for some missionary’s visit.
Do not stop at the homes you know. The Gospel says: “do not greet anyone.” Missionaries would soon lose their wings if they stayed to chat or asked hospitality from friends who had not welcomed the kingdom. They should rather count on the Providence of the Father who will open to them the heart and house of one of those who have listened to the Good News.
In visiting homes, the first thing to do is to give peace, that is, to come as a friend on behalf of Christ and his Church, taking time to listen to the people visited and to find out their concerns. Then, and only then, will we be able to give them a good answer and to tell them: the kingdom has come to you; even though you may have a thousand problems, believe that today God has come closer to you to reconcile you. This is the time to be reconciled with family members and neighbors, to let go of resentments. Begin doing what you can do, and trust that, in his own way, God will solve what is beyond your own power.
Many of the people who welcome the missionaries with joy are not going to persevere; they are not going to enter a Christian community. That does not necessarily mean that the missionaries’ efforts have been wasted. These people will remember this moment of grace from the Lord, and it will help them in living with more faith. In any case, there will be some whose hearts were touched by the Lord at that time and they will become active members of his Church.
The mission helps form the missionaries and also awakens those they visit. Jesus formed his disciples, not only through his teaching, but also by sending them on missions. That is the way he formed the seventy a few months after they met him. Likewise now, the best people for missionary work are often those who have been recently converted.
I myself came to the Philippines as a Carmelite missionary. I like the Philippines very much. But when Marcos declared martial law, I was deported and declared an undesirable alien, because I had taught the workers of Iligan Electric Company their right to go on strike and Marcos had forbidden strikes. That is how Jesus works with his missionaries. I hope that I will have the courage to continue my work, even now that I am married and have six adopted children to take care of.
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