First Reading: Isaiah 66:10-14
Second Reading: Galatians 6:14-18
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12.17-20
Among the species of animals, the one that gives us a sense of intrigue and enigma, and also fear, is the snake.
Actually the snake is an odd creature.
It has no hands or feet or wings, and it moves about by crawling on its belly.
But all this not withstanding, the snake has a reputation for being a deadly creature.
From constriction to venom, and from the time of Adam, the snake is like the scourge of mankind.
Though some snakes are not poisonous, yet there is just too much fear created about them.
A story has it that a preacher wanted to show his congregation that there is nothing to fear about snakes.
So he had a non-poisonous snake in a sack, and he told his congregation that there is nothing to fear about snakes and that they can even crush it with their heels.
So he let the snake out of the sack. Bad move.
Children started to scream and run, followed by the adults.
It was pandemonium, total chaos.
Well, if we priests try to do this kind of antics, we might just get ex-communicated!!
Yet, it is not a joke when Jesus said that He is sending us out like lambs among wolves.
But Jesus assures us that He has given us power to tread under foot snakes and scorpions.
He even tells us that nothing will harm us.
Well to that, a missionary can give testimony as he relates his encounter with danger.
This missionary was serving in a rural area where electricity was generated by a diesel generator.
One stormy night, the generator failed and his house was in total darkness.
He had no torchlight but he remembered that there were candles and matches in the church.
So he felt his way around, got out of the house and using the walls as a guide, made his way to the church, all this in pitch darkness.
Finally, he got to the candles and lighting a candle he made his way back to the house safely.
A few days later, there was another storm, and again the generator failed.
This time around, the missionary was prepared and he had a torch light.
So, with confidence, he made his way to the church to get some candles.
But as he opened the door to step into the church, his steps came to a sudden halt.
Because, as he shined his torch light ahead of him, he saw a snake coiled up in the church, taking shelter from the rain.
He turned back immediately and headed straight for his house, and when he got back, he went down on his knees to thank God.
As he thought about it, just a few days back, he made the same way in pitch darkness and, thank God, there was no snake.
This time around, he was not going to tread on the snake to see if it would bite; that would be crazy.
Putting it any way we want, we can be sure that Jesus was protecting that missionary, when he made his way to the church in pitch darkness.
And Jesus wants to protect us as we make our way in this world that is darkened by fear and danger, where the wolves howl, the snakes bite and the scorpions sting.
Jesus sends us forth into the world to be instruments and channels of His peace in the midst of fear and danger.
But let us also remember that peace is not the absence of fear and danger. There will always be fear and danger.
Peace is the presence of God, in the midst of fear and danger.
At every Mass, Jesus says to us – I leave you peace. My peace I give you.
So Jesus already gave us His peace. That’s what we have. That’s what we are – a people of peace.
Earlier on, I talked about a preacher with a snake.
I’d like to tell you now about a preacher with a $100 note.
So this preacher showed his congregation a $100 note and asked – Who would like to have this $100 note?
Of course, hands went up. Then he said, “OK, but what if I do this?” And he proceeded to crumple up the $100 note.
And then he asked, “So now, who would still like to have this?”
Well, the hands still went up.
And then the preacher said, “Ok, but what if I do this?”
And he dropped the note to the ground and started to grind it on the floor with his shoe.
He then picked it up, the crumpled and dirty note, then he asked, “Who still want this?” Would you want it?
Of course, we would still want it. Because no matter how crumpled and dirty it is, the value has not decreased. It is still a $100 note.
And that is the truth! In God’s eyes we will always have a value; and as God promised, we will always have peace.
It is a peace that the world cannot give; it is also a peace the world cannot take away.
Yet, we have to always ask ourselves: do we give others peace of mind, or do we give others a piece of our mind?
So, do we bring peace wherever we go?
Or do we bring peace whenever we go?
In this Mass, and in every Mass, peace is what Jesus gives to us.
It is this peace that we are to give to others.
May this peace give us the power and the strength ….
so that where there is injury, we bring pardon,
where there is doubt, we bring faith,
where there is despair, we bring hope,
where there is darkness, we bring light.
where there is sadness, we bring joy.