June 26 - One Bread, One Body
June 26, Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Cycle C Readings:
1) 1 King 19:16, 19-21
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
2) Galatians 5:1, 13-18
Luke 9:51-62
Plow-Share
"Elijah set out, and came upon Elisha, son of Shaphat, as he was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen." — 1 Kings 19:19
Elijah called Elisha to become his disciple while Elisha was plowing. This is not an insignificant detail. When Jesus called one of His disciples, He spoke of discipleship as putting one’s hands to the plow (Lk 9:62). Being a disciple is like plowing. Disciples have the power to break up hard ground and hard hearts in a hard, hardened, and hardening world. Without the disciples’ plowing, there won’t be much of a harvest, no matter how much seed is sown and no matter how much work is done.
Jesus, before His Ascension, commanded us to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19). This entire world needs to be plowed and then sown and harvested. We will never win the world for Christ until we plow the world for Christ. Therefore, Jesus’ disciples must start plowing and keep plowing without looking back, or they are unfit for the kingdom of God (Lk 9:62).
Plowing is hard work with hard ground, and the first field we must plow is the field of our own hardened hearts. Repent and plow! Prophesy and plow! Pray, preach, and plow! Work, suffer, and plow! Love, die, and plow! Be a disciple; make disciples; plow!
Prayer: Father, as the sweat pours down my brow, may I plow and keep my eyes straight ahead, focused on You.
Promise: “The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed.” —Gal 5:17
Praise: “They killed Him, finally, hanging Him on a tree, only to have God raise Him up on the third day and grant that He be seen” (Acts 10:40). Praise the risen Jesus!
Rescript: In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Imprimatur ("Permission to Publish") for One Bread, One Body covering the period from June 1, 2022 through July 31, 2022.
†Most Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio November 18, 2021.
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.