{"id":30799,"date":"2026-05-15T14:43:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/?p=30799"},"modified":"2026-05-15T14:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:46:45","slug":"the-message-of-the-rector-major-are-we-also-among-the-72","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2026\/05\/15\/the-message-of-the-rector-major-are-we-also-among-the-72\/","title":{"rendered":"THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR: Are We Also Among the 72?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>(ANS &#8211; Rome)<\/strong> \u2013 In the Gospel of Luke, at the beginning of Chapter 10 (verses 1\u201319), Jesus extends His mission beyond the Twelve, sending seventy-two disciples ahead of Him to prepare the way. It is a decisive moment: the mission is no longer reserved for a small apostolic circle but extends to a wider group of ordinary followers. The implication is clear: every disciple is a missionary, sent into their own particular corner of the world to make Christ present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>We, too, are sent. Our workplaces, neighborhoods, families, and friendships are the \u201ctowns and places\u201d where Christ intends to come, and He sends us there ahead of Him to prepare the way.<\/p><cite><strong>Don Fabio Attard, SDB<\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Christians today\u2014whether we work in offices or hospitals, raise children at home or serve in schools, run businesses or care for the elderly\u2014this passage speaks directly to our baptismal vocation. We, too, are sent. Our workplaces, neighborhoods, families, and friendships are the \u201ctowns and places\u201d where Christ intends to come, and He sends us there ahead of Him to prepare the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The instructions Jesus gives are not solely for religious \u201cprofessionals,\u201d but for all who bear His name. They are instructions that reveal what Christian witness should look like in any context: traveling light, bringing peace, healing the wounded, and proclaiming the closeness of the Kingdom through the concrete reality of our own lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a culture that often relegates faith to a private conviction or a Sunday service, Luke 10 reclaims the entirety of life as missionary territory. These three reflections explore how Jesus\u2019 words to the seventy-two shed light on what it means to live as disciples sent into the ordinary circumstances of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traveling Light: Freedom from the Burden of Self-Sufficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCarry no purse, no bag, no sandals.\u201d Jesus sends out disciples who are deliberately vulnerable, radically dependent on God and on the hospitality of others. His instruction challenges the fundamental assumptions of contemporary life: that security derives from the accumulation of things, that worth comes from self-sufficiency, and that we must always keep everything under our control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Christians navigating ordinary life\u2014careers, family responsibilities, economic pressures\u2014this call to evangelical poverty does not mean abandoning prudent planning or responsible stewardship. Rather, it poses a deeper spiritual question: On what do we truly rely?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We live in a culture that teaches us to place our trust in our own ability to handle every eventuality. We accumulate certifications, credentials, and contacts\u2014building ever-larger &#8220;purses.&#8221; And we exhaust ourselves trying to maintain the illusion of self-sufficiency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jesus\u2019 instruction liberates us from this burden. Traveling light means acknowledging our fundamental dependence on God\u2019s providence, on the community of believers, and on the Grace we cannot manufacture ourselves. It means being willing to admit when we do not have the answer, when we are in need of help, and when our carefully laid plans fall apart\u2014trusting that God will provide another way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In practical terms: it means admitting that we are not perfect, and that maintaining a perfect image ultimately enslaves us; being honest with our children about our struggles; and choosing simplicity over accumulation, presence over productivity, and trust over anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are not called to be Christians who appear to have everything figured out. We are invited to discover that Christ is sufficient, that His grace is truly enough, and that dependence on God is pure freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before All Else, Peace: Presence in a Fragmented World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInto whatever house you enter, first say: \u2018Peace be to this house.\u2019\u201d Before any activity or productivity, let there be\u2014first of all\u2014peace. We live fragmented lives: juggling a thousand things at once, only half-present in our conversations. Jesus sends us forth to bring peace. Mind you: this is not the superficial peace born of the illusion that we have everything under control but is, rather, true profound peace\u2014the kind that comes from knowing we are sustained by God, even amidst chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This peace serves as a countercultural witness. It is evident when our colleagues are stressed yet we remain steadfast\u2014not through denial, but through trust. It is evident when our neighborhoods are gripped by anxiety yet we offer a calm presence\u2014not through naivety, but through hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider the everyday &#8220;houses&#8221; you enter: your workplace, your own home, the gym, your children\u2019s school, your neighborhood. Bringing peace might mean: refraining from workplace gossip and instead speaking with respect; cultivating an atmosphere in our home where people can breathe freely and where there is room for silence; or being the neighbor who listens without judgment.<br>This peace becomes particularly powerful and meaningful when shared with those who are struggling. How many people carry invisible burdens\u2014battles with mental health, financial anxiety, relational crises, or existential despair? They do not need answers. They need someone who can stand with them in their pain without being destabilized\u2014someone who radiates a peace that suggests solid ground beneath the chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our Christian witness is primarily about who we are: people who have found a peace that the world can neither give nor take away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healing and Proclamation: Making the Kingdom Visible<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHeal the sick who are there and tell them, \u2018The Kingdom of God is near to you.\u2019\u201d Word and deed are inseparable. This means recognizing the wounds around us and responding with concrete acts of empathy. It means acknowledging the sense of emptiness and meaninglessness that some bear, the ruthless competition, or the burnout experienced by others\u2014offering them the gift of a presence that knows how to listen without judgment. It means standing close to those who feel isolated\u2014especially the elderly\u2014through small, simple gestures that nevertheless leave an imprint on a suffering heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Kingdom draws near when people can say: \u201cI encountered something different here. I was welcomed, valued, and restored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is how the early Church grew\u2014not primarily through eloquent sermons, but through communities that lived so differently that people were compelled to ask: \u201cWhat do you have that we do not? Why do you love in this way? Where does this hope come from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our lives become the proclamation. And when people ask, we are ready to name the Source: \u201cThe Kingdom of God has come near to you. The love you have experienced does not come solely from us; it comes from Christ, who has made all things new and who invites you into this new reality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EL MENSAJE DEL RECTOR MAYOR: \u00bfEstamos tambi\u00e9n nosotros entre los 72?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>(ANS &#8211; Roma)<\/strong> \u2013 En el Evangelio de Lucas, al comienzo del cap\u00edtulo 10 (vers\u00edculos 1-19), Jes\u00fas extiende su misi\u00f3n m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de los Doce, enviando a setenta y dos disc\u00edpulos delante de s\u00ed para preparar el camino. Es un momento decisivo: la misi\u00f3n ya no queda reservada a un peque\u00f1o c\u00edrculo apost\u00f3lico, sino que se ampl\u00eda a un grupo m\u00e1s extenso de seguidores ordinarios. La implicaci\u00f3n es clara: todo disc\u00edpulo es misionero, enviado a su propio rinc\u00f3n del mundo para hacer presente a Cristo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>Tambi\u00e9n nosotros somos enviados. Nuestros lugares de trabajo, nuestros barrios, nuestras familias y nuestras amistades son las \u201cciudades y lugares\u201d donde Cristo quiere llegar, y nos env\u00eda all\u00ed delante de \u00c9l para prepararle el camino.<\/p><cite><strong>Don Fabio Attard<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Para los cristianos de hoy, que trabajamos en oficinas o en hospitales, criamos a nuestros hijos en casa o servimos en las escuelas, dirigimos empresas o cuidamos de los ancianos, este pasaje habla directamente a nuestra vocaci\u00f3n bautismal. Tambi\u00e9n nosotros somos enviados. Nuestros lugares de trabajo, nuestros barrios, nuestras familias y nuestras amistades son las \u201cciudades y lugares\u201d donde Cristo quiere llegar, y nos env\u00eda all\u00ed delante de \u00c9l para prepararle el camino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Las instrucciones que Jes\u00fas da no son solo para los \u201cprofesionales\u201d de la religi\u00f3n, sino para todos los que llevan su nombre. Son indicaciones que revelan c\u00f3mo debe ser el testimonio cristiano en cualquier contexto: viajar ligeros, llevar la paz, sanar a los heridos, anunciar la cercan\u00eda del Reino a trav\u00e9s de la realidad concreta de nuestras vidas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En una cultura que a menudo relega la fe a una convicci\u00f3n privada o al culto dominical, Lucas 10 reivindica toda la vida como territorio misionero. Estas tres reflexiones exploran c\u00f3mo las palabras de Jes\u00fas a los setenta y dos iluminan lo que significa vivir como disc\u00edpulos enviados en las circunstancias ordinarias de la vida cotidiana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Viajar ligeros: libertad frente al peso de la autosuficiencia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo llev\u00e9is bolsa, ni alforja, ni sandalias\u201d. Jes\u00fas env\u00eda a sus disc\u00edpulos deliberadamente vulnerables, radicalmente dependientes de Dios y de la hospitalidad de los dem\u00e1s. Esta instrucci\u00f3n desaf\u00eda los presupuestos fundamentales de la vida contempor\u00e1nea: que la seguridad proviene de la acumulaci\u00f3n, que el valor nace de la autosuficiencia, que debemos tener siempre todo bajo control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Para los cristianos que afrontan la vida ordinaria \u2014la carrera profesional, las responsabilidades familiares, las presiones econ\u00f3micas\u2014 esta llamada a la pobreza evang\u00e9lica no significa abandonar una planificaci\u00f3n prudente o una gesti\u00f3n responsable. M\u00e1s bien plantea una pregunta espiritual m\u00e1s profunda: \u00bfen qu\u00e9 ponemos realmente nuestra confianza?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vivimos en una cultura que nos ense\u00f1a a confiar en nuestra capacidad para gestionar cualquier eventualidad. Acumulamos certificaciones, credenciales, contactos\u2026 construyendo \u201cbolsas\u201d cada vez m\u00e1s grandes. Y terminamos agotados intentando mantener la ilusi\u00f3n de la autosuficiencia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La indicaci\u00f3n de Jes\u00fas nos libera de ese peso. Viajar ligeros significa reconocer nuestra dependencia fundamental de la providencia de Dios, de la comunidad de los creyentes, de la gracia que no podemos fabricar. Significa estar dispuestos a reconocer cuando no tenemos la respuesta, cuando necesitamos ayuda, cuando nuestros planes cuidadosamente elaborados se derrumban y debemos confiar en que Dios abrir\u00e1 otro camino.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">En t\u00e9rminos pr\u00e1cticos: admitir que no somos perfectos y que mantener una imagen perfecta acaba por esclavizarnos; ser sinceros con los hijos sobre nuestras dificultades; elegir la sencillez frente a la acumulaci\u00f3n, la presencia frente a la productividad, la confianza frente a la ansiedad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No estamos llamados a ser cristianos que parecen tenerlo todo resuelto. Estamos invitados a descubrir que Cristo basta, que su gracia es verdaderamente suficiente, que la dependencia de Dios es pura libertad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ante todo, paz: presencia en un mundo fragmentado<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEn cualquier casa donde entr\u00e9is, decid primero: \u2018Paz a esta casa\u2019\u201d. Antes de cualquier actividad o productividad, que haya ante todo paz. Vivimos vidas fragmentadas: mil cosas al mismo tiempo, presentes solo a medias en las conversaciones. Jes\u00fas nos env\u00eda a llevar paz. Atenci\u00f3n: no se trata de una paz superficial, fruto de la ilusi\u00f3n de tener todo bajo control, sino de la paz verdadera y profunda que nace de saberse sostenidos por Dios incluso en medio del caos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esta paz es un testimonio contracultural. Cuando los compa\u00f1eros de trabajo est\u00e1n estresados y nosotros permanecemos firmes, no por negaci\u00f3n, sino por confianza. Cuando los barrios viven en la ansiedad y nosotros ofrecemos una presencia serena, no por ingenuidad, sino por esperanza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Piensa en las \u201ccasas\u201d cotidianas en las que entras: el lugar de trabajo, tu hogar, el gimnasio, la escuela de los hijos, el barrio. Llevar paz puede significar no participar en el cotilleo en el trabajo, sino hablar con respeto; crear en casa un ambiente donde las personas puedan respirar y donde haya espacio para el silencio; ser ese vecino que escucha sin juzgar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Esta paz se vuelve especialmente poderosa y significativa con quienes est\u00e1n luchando. Cu\u00e1ntas personas cargan con pesos invisibles: problemas de salud mental, ansiedad econ\u00f3mica, crisis relacionales, desesperanza existencial. No necesitan soluciones. Necesitan a alguien capaz de permanecer con ellos en el dolor sin desestabilizarse, alguien que irradie una paz que sugiera tierra firme bajo el caos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nuestro testimonio cristiano tiene que ver principalmente con qui\u00e9nes somos: personas que han encontrado una paz que el mundo no puede dar ni quitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Curaci\u00f3n y anuncio: hacer visible el Reino<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCurad a los enfermos que haya all\u00ed y decidles: \u2018Est\u00e1 cerca de vosotros el Reino de Dios\u2019\u201d. Palabra y acci\u00f3n son inseparables. Esto significa reconocer las heridas que hay a nuestro alrededor y responder con gestos concretos de empat\u00eda. Reconocer el vac\u00edo y la falta de sentido que algunos llevan dentro, la competencia despiadada, el agotamiento extremo de otros, ofreci\u00e9ndoles el don de una presencia que sabe escuchar sin juzgar. Estar cerca de quien se siente aislado, de los ancianos, con gestos peque\u00f1os y sencillos que dejan huella en el coraz\u00f3n que sufre. El Reino se hace cercano cuando las personas pueden decir: \u201cAqu\u00ed he encontrado algo distinto. He sido acogido, valorado, restaurado\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As\u00ed creci\u00f3 la Iglesia primitiva, no principalmente a trav\u00e9s de predicaciones elocuentes, sino mediante comunidades que viv\u00edan de un modo tan diferente que las personas se sent\u00edan impulsadas a preguntar: \u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 ten\u00e9is vosotros que nosotros no tenemos? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 am\u00e1is as\u00ed? \u00bfDe d\u00f3nde nace esta esperanza?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nuestras vidas se convierten en proclamaci\u00f3n. Y cuando las personas pregunten, estemos preparados para nombrar la fuente: \u201cEl Reino de Dios est\u00e1 cerca de vosotros. El amor que hab\u00e9is experimentado no viene solo de nosotros; viene de Cristo, que ha hecho nuevas todas las cosas y que os invita a esta nueva realidad\u201d.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(ANS &#8211; Rome) \u2013 In the Gospel of Luke, at the beginning of Chapter 10 (verses 1\u201319), Jesus extends His mission beyond the Twelve, sending seventy-two disciples ahead of Him to prepare the way. It is a decisive moment: the mission is no longer reserved for a small apostolic circle but extends to a wider group of ordinary followers. The implication is clear: every disciple &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/2026\/05\/15\/the-message-of-the-rector-major-are-we-also-among-the-72\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continuar leyendo <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">THE MESSAGE OF THE RECTOR MAJOR: Are We Also Among the 72?<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":10336596,"featured_media":30804,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[782003447,516714022],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rector-major","category-salesian-world-news"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p59ePG-80L","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/salesianbulletin.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026-05-15-Rector-Major-Attard-feature.jpg?fit=1600%2C875&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10336596"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30799"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30799\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30807,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30799\/revisions\/30807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30804"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salesianbulletin.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}