THE WORD
Bar 4: 5–12.27–29 / Lk 10: 17–24
The seventy (-two) returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced (in) the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
IN OTHER WORDS
“Ding Jinghao was here.” A graffiti in Chinese written on a 3,500 year-old Luxor wall in Egypt defaced an historical monument. Much later a fellow Chinese tourist discovered the graffiti, took a picture and posted it on the Internet to shame the Chinese teenager who defaced the historic wall. Los Angeles Times (May 28, 2013) wrote that the Chinese are very fond of writing their names on any surface even in historic places like Luxor. There are many Ding Jinghaos in the world who are fond of making graffiti. It’s an impulse that says, “I want to be remembered. I want to leave a trace.”
In today’s gospel episode we see Jesus rejoicing. The rejoicing of his apostles who reported to Jesus that “even demons are subject to us because of your name” occasioned his joy. Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit thanking and praising the Father for revealing these things to the childlike. He was very happy for his disciples but doubly happy and grateful that the Father has their names written in heaven. To have one’s name written in heaven is to be close to God, to share the intimacy between Jesus and the Father. This is what is meant to be blessed. Having this intimacy with the Father enables us to see and hear what the rest of humankind only could aspire for.
When our names are written in heaven, we live on; our names are written for eternity. Our power to cast out evil spirits pales in comparison to the privilege of sharing heaven with God. It is not we who write our names but the Father. He has even engraved us on the palm of his hands, so he does not forget us.
- Melchor Bernal, SVD (CKMS, QC)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
