EXPLORE THE SUNDAY GOSPEL
The Mission of the Seventy-two & Return of the Seventy-two
LK 10:1-12, 17-20 or LK 10:1-9
(Long form shown here.)
At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."
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."
MEET OUR EXTENDED FAMILY
St. Dulce Lopes Pontes (Feast Day August 13)
May 26, 1914-March 13, 1992
Born to an upper-middle class family in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Maria Rita de Souza Brito Lopes Pontes wanted for nothing. After her mother died, Maria went to live with her aunts. When Maria was 13, her aunts took her to visit the poorest areas of her city, where Maria was deeply moved by the suffering she witnessed. She began dedicating her life to helping the poor and sick. She was known to invite the poor and sick to come to her home, where she and her neighbors could care for them until she entered the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God.
Upon taking her vows, Maria took the name Sister Dulce, after her mother. She continued to spend her time helping the poor and destitute. She went on to establish the first workers union in Salvador, a school for working-class children and worked to offer medical assistance, food, and shelter to the poor. In 1949, Sister Dulce was granted permission from her superior to offer medical care in her convent's chicken yard, which she converted into a makeshift hospital. Eleven years later, the chicken yard would be transformed into Saint Anthony's Hospital.
In 1959, the Charitable Works Foundation of Sister Dulce was formed. It consolidated many of Sister Dulce's programs into a major Brazilian health and social services organization that is still in operation today.
TAKE TIME TO CHAT
What does Jesus mean when he says, "The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few"?
Jesus needed help to proclaim the kingdom of God. If Jesus asked you to share the good news with others, would you? Why or why not?
Why do you think the disciples were happy when they came back from their mission?
In what way did St. Dulce Lopes Pontes fulfill her mission as a disciple?
FAMILY FUN
Make a Pillow Cover
In today's Gospel, the disciples were sent out with not much but were told they would stop at homes. Consider what you would need if they stopped by your house. Make pillow covers today for a pillow in your home to use for rest or play.
Decorate a white pillowcase using fabric markers or buy DIY pillow crafts for kids online. Oriental Trading and the Crayola website have great pillow-making ideas. Alternatively, download directions to make a fleece tie pillow. Use the pillow for rest or play. Visit https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/pillow-party/ for ideas for some fun pillow games.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Chicken Pillows
1 (8 oz.) can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 egg
1 sleeve Saltine Crackers, crushed
2-3 Tbsp water
Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup milk
2 tsp of sour cream (or more if desired)
½ cup shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 400 F. Soften butter and cream cheese. Then stir to a smooth consistency. Add cooked shredded chicken to the bowl. Lay out the 8 crescents on a cookie sheet. Stretch the crescent out. Place a couple spoons of the creamy chicken mixture into the center of the crescent to fill it. Then fold the crescent around the mixture so that none of it is showing. In a separate smaller bowl, beat together the egg and water. Dip the "pillow" into the blended egg. After dipping into the blended egg, proceed to dip it into the crushed saltine crackers and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining 7 crescents. Cook the pillows for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them; your oven might cook them quicker.
For the sauce - Combine soup and milk in a saucepan. Add milk as desired to get it to the consistency you want. When hot, add sour cream and cheese to your liking. Drizzle over the chicken pillows and serve.
FAMILY PRAYER
Help Us Follow You
Make the sign of the cross and invite each family member to pray spontaneously in their own words about being sent out as disciples and what help they need from God.
Close with this prayer:
Almighty God,
our hope and our strength,
without You we falter.
Help us to follow Christ
and to live according to Your will.
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
LITURGY LINK
In today's Gospel, Jesus instructs the disciples to wish peace upon the households they visit. Before the celebration of Holy Communion, we offer each other the sign of peace. How many times is the word peace mentioned at Mass?
FAMILY CHALLENGE
From today's Gospel, we can see that Jesus and his disciples faced many challenges as they traveled. However, they proceeded with fortitude to proclaim the kingdom of God. Fortitude is the virtue that gives courage to follow Jesus even when it is difficult. Practice the virtue of fortitude this week.
FUN FACTS
The world's largest pillow is in Guangdong, China and measures 61 feet long and 87 feet, 4 inches wide.
