Fr. Jordan DeGuire, OP, South Bend, Indiana In today's Gospel, Jesus sends out the 72 disciples ahead of him to prepare the way. They are not the Twelve, but they are not ordinary followers either; they have been given a particular vocation. Each of us, too, has a part to play in God's plan for the world. This question of vocation was one that St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrestled with deeply. Though she followed Christ as a cloistered Carmelite nun, she longed to serve him as a missionary, a warrior like St. Joan of Arc, a teacher, a martyr. Then one day, reading the Scriptures, she discovered her true calling: her vocation, above all else, was love. This is what makes St. Thérèse and her "little way" so beloved. Most of us are not called to prominent roles in the Church or the world, but every one of us can do the most ordinary things with extraordinary love. It is a path open to everyone, young or old, man or woman, married, divorced, or single, rich or poor. Yet we can only love because we have first been loved by Christ. Like St. Thérèse, we must go to him in the Scriptures and the liturgy and let him teach us how he loves us. Then he sends us forth, like the 72, to proclaim his kingdom, sometimes in great ways, sometimes in very small ways, but always with great love.
Chapters
0:00 Welcome | Memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
0:15 Today's Gospel: Jesus Sends Out the 72
0:44 St. Thérèse's Search for Her Vocation
1:24 Her Discovery: "My Vocation Is Love"
1:37 The Little Way Is Open to Everyone
2:28 Loved First, Then Sent Forth
**Today's reflection**
- Where is God asking me to love in the ordinary circumstances of my life today?
- How can I let Christ teach me how he loves me before I go out to love others?
**Today's readings:** Luke 10:1-12
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