Seventy in Biblical Sense. A Reflection on the 14th Sun of Ord. Time

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come.Luke 10.1

What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus’ times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task: to speak in his name and to act with his power. Jesus gave them instructions for how they were to carry out their ministry. They must go and serve as people without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. They must give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. They must travel light – only take what was essential and leave behind whatever would distract them – in order to concentrate on the task of speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can give freely to others, without expecting reward or payment. “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves.

The call of the Lord then is not exclusive to the 70, but to all of us. Let us share our talents to spread the GoodNews to the World.

my brother`s Choice

i was in Cebu together with my brother, sister and her daughter Jessica to visit our mother last May 14 2010. For almost 32 years we have not met out mother and this was a historical event in our lives. We arrived early and since we do not have anything to do i decided to bring them for a tour around Cebu city. of course we went to the famous cite, the Magellan cross where Christianity first came to the Philippines. and after that we visited the famous Sto. Nino Church, where pilgrimes come to visit and pray. after going around the church, we entered a souvenier shop where they are selling religous items. My brother who was thinking of a give for manong Ed decided to make a choice for crucifixes. As i was making a choice myself, he told me that the best gift for manong Ed will be a resurrection cross since it will be a meaningful symbol, especially after winning the election as sanguniang bayan in our town Guimbal, Iloilo. i was speechless, i never know my brother a good theology, simple but deep. i was happy to learn about this.