This past Sunday, we read from the gospel of Luke chapter 10 where JEsus sends the 72 out in pairs to proclaim the kingdom of God.
In the midst of the marching orders they recieve about taking no money bag, no sack, no sandals etc. Jesus also says these words, "Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves."
Like lambs anmong wolves.
Jesus paints no illussion about the world and how the world might respond. In the words of the theme song to the TV Series MONK, it is a jungle out there.
The world can be quite harsh and hostile. St. Maria Goretti helps us understand this relaity, as we look to her life and discover the brutality and hostiltiy she endured at such a young age.
What is most striking is that she refused to become like the world. She did not become a wolf and she chose to remain a lamb.
This is our task as christians. In a world filled with hostility and moral decline we have a choice, we can become like the world and do what everone else is doing and lose our idenitity or we can guard our wool, our holiness, our dependence on God, our innocence and loyalty and love.
We are not responsibile for the hostility of the world but we are responsible for our christian response which is the willignness to suffer in charity and even in charity choose to embrace suffering so as to never become like the wolves.
We may be raised with wolves but we are not raised by wolves rather we are raised and noursihed by the lamb himself who takes away the sins of the world.
He is the one who nourishes us with his willingness to suffer in charity rather than lose his identity.
Behold I am sending you like lambs amongs wolves. Praise God for such a gift. For it is no feat for the wolf to devour the lamb but it is quite a testimant of grace for the lamb to devour the wolf in charity and truth.
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