From: Luke 10:17-24

The Seventy Return From Their Mission

[17] The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject
to us in Your name!” [18] And He (Jesus) said to them, “I saw Satan fall like light-
ning from Heaven. [19] Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents
and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you.
[20] Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but
rejoice that your names are written in Heaven.”

Jesus Gives Thanks

[21] In that same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank Thee, Fa-
ther, Lord of Heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was Thy
gracious will. [22] All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one
knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son
and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

[23] Then turning to the disciples He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which
see what you see! [24] For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to
see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not
hear it.”

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Commentary:

20. Our Lord corrects His disciples, making them see that the right reason for re-
joicing lies in hope of reaching Heaven, not in the power to do miracles which He
gave them for their mission. As He said on another occasion, “On that day many
will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast our de-
mons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I
declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:
22-23). In other words, in the eyes of God doing His holy will at all times is more
important than working miracles.

21. This passage of the Gospel is usually called our Lord’s “hymn of joy” and is
also found in St. Matthew (11:25-27). It is one of those moments when Jesus re-
joices to see humble people understanding and accepting the word of God.

Our Lord also reveals one of the effects of humility—spiritual childhood. For ex-
ample, in another passage He says: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and
become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 18:
3). But spiritual childhood does not involve weakness, softness or ignorance: “I
have often meditated on this life of spiritual childhood, which is not incompatible
with fortitude, because it demands a strong will, proven maturity, an open and
firm character [...]. To become children we must renounce our pride and self-suf-
ficiency, recognizing that we can do nothing by ourselves. We must realize that
we need grace, and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep it. To be
little, you have to abandon yourself as children do, believe as children, beg as
children beg” [St. J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 10 and 143).

22. “This statement is a wonderful help to our faith,” St. Ambrose comments,
“because when you read ‘all’ you realize that Christ is all-powerful, that He is not
inferior to the Father, or less perfect than He; when you read ‘have been delivered
to me’, you confess that Christ is the Son, to whom everything belongs by right
of being one in substance [with the Father] and not by grace of gift” (”Expositio
Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc.”).

Here we see Christ as almighty Lord and God, consubstantial with the Father,
and the only one capable of revealing who the Father is. At the same time, we
can recognize the divine nature of Jesus only if the Father gives us the grace of
faith—as He did to St. Peter (cf. Matthew 16:17).

23-24. Obviously, seeing Jesus with one’s own eyes was a wonderful thing for
people who believed in him. However, our Lord will say to Thomas, “Blessed are
those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). St. Peter, for his part,
tells us: “Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not see Him
you believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome
of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd

Readings at Mass

Liturgical Colour: White.

First reading
Job 42:1-3,5-6,12-17 ©

This was the answer Job gave to the Lord:

I know that you are all-powerful:

what you conceive, you can perform.

I am the man who obscured your designs

with my empty-headed words.

I have been holding forth on matters I cannot understand,

on marvels beyond me and my knowledge.

I knew you then only by hearsay;

but now, having seen you with my own eyes,

I retract all I have said,

and in dust and ashes I repent.

The Lord blessed Job’s new fortune even more than his first one. He came to own fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she-donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters; his first daughter he called ‘Turtledove’, the second ‘Cassia’ and the third ‘Mascara.’ Throughout the land there were no women as beautiful as the daughters of Job. And their father gave them inheritance rights like their brothers.

After his trials, Job lived on until he was a hundred and forty years old, and saw his children and his children’s children up to the fourth generation. Then Job died, an old man and full of days.

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118:66,71,75,91,125,130 ©

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

Teach me discernment and knowledge

for I trust in your commands.

It was good for me to be afflicted,

to learn your statutes.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

that you afflicted me justly.

By your decree it endures to this day;

for all things serve you.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

I am your servant, give me knowledge;

then I shall know your will.

The unfolding of your word gives light

and teaches the simple.

Let your face shine on your servant, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation	Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father,

Lord of heaven and earth,

for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom

to mere children.

Alleluia!

Gospel	Luke 10:17-24 ©

The seventy-two came back rejoicing. ‘Lord,’ they said ‘even the devils submit to us when we use your name.’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Yes, I have given you power to tread underfoot serpents and scorpions and the whole strength of the enemy; nothing shall ever hurt you. Yet do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.’

It was then that, filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, he said, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’