by Fr. Ed Liptak, SDB

All that we say, all that we do ought to respect our calling from God. We are God’s creatures intended by him to live one life on earth and a second in the life to come, close to him. We are created for salvation. However, reaching eternal life in heaven is not automatic—that no matter what we do or what we say doesn’t matter; we are saved. No, God has set down a set of procedures and rules.

First, salvation has come to us at a cost. As humans we had become cut off from the kingdom of God by disobedience and many other sins unmindful or perhaps scornful of Him. The world was drenched in paganism. Even the Israelites whom He chose as His ‘special possession’ were not faithful to Him. Yet, from them a true savior was born who would restore humanity’s relationship with God.

Enter St. Paul to take up the reflection, for, “God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Overcome by His love for us God sent His only begotten Son to save us. “Since we are now justified by his blood …  [We] will be saved from the wrath.” And Paul further asserts that we are ‘reconciled’ to God through Jesus Christ. His Life, Passion, Death, and Resurrection have paid the price of our salvation. You and I, indeed, are saved at this very moment, so long as we do not break the bond of peace with God by mortal sin. Salvation is NOT automatic,

As our Gospel suggests, we need to have Jesus look upon us with pity, for our own weaknesses disturb us on our Journey toward eternal happiness. We feel troubled and abandoned unless He shepherds us. He does not do that alone. The Gospel records that Jesus, yearning for our salvation, chose twelve men to share His guardianship and his power. He was forming his Church. All of us who are baptized belong to that church; we ARE indeed that Church, his followers. But He from the beginning chose men to share his leadership.

However, there is nothing on earth that prevents any or all of us from helping one another toward salvation. The harvest is plentiful, and Jesus’ love for souls did prompt him to call the Twelve and to send them to harvest. But his yearning for souls also made him send seventy-two others as well. Count yourself among that number.