14th Sunday in Ordinary time 2025

 I am a huge fan of Rick Steves, the travel show host on PBS.

If you’ve ever watched his show or read one of his guidebooks, you know that Rick offers a wealth of practical advice for travelers. 

One of his most repeated—and most important—tips is this: pack light. He recommends using just one carry-on bag and packing for no more than a week or so. 

That way, you’re free to move easily, you don’t risk losing your luggage, and you’re open to whatever adventures come your way. 

You can always do laundry or pick up what you need along the journey.

Rick says, “The measure of a good traveler is how light they travel.”

And it turns out—Jesus might agree.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends out seventy-two disciples, two by two, to the towns and villages he plans to visit. 

But before they go, he gives them some very specific travel instructions:

“Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals. Greet no one along the way.”

Translation? Travel light.
But even more than that—travel with trust.

Now, let’s pause and imagine this. Jesus is not sending out professional missionaries. 

These are regular disciples. Ordinary folks. And he’s sending them into unfamiliar territory—on foot, with no supplies, no backup plan, and no promise they’ll be welcomed.

Why?

Because this mission isn’t about having the perfect packing list. It’s about learning to depend on God.

It’s about discovering that when you carry peace, speak love, and trust the Lord—you already have everything you need.

And that’s something we often forget, isn’t it?

We think we need to have all the right words before we can talk about faith.
We think we need to fix our lives before we can help someone else.
We think we need to wait for the perfect moment before we share the Gospel.

But Jesus says: Go now. Go simply. Go humbly.
Let peace be your baggage. Let trust be your map.

And look what happens when they return!

The seventy-two come back full of joy:

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name!”

They’ve experienced the power of God at work in them.
They’ve seen healing, restoration, peace.

But Jesus gently re-centers their joy:

“Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

In other words: don’t let success be your source of joy—let your belonging be.

You are loved. You are known. You are sent. And your name is already written in heaven.

That message echoes beautifully in our first reading from the prophet Isaiah, where God speaks tenderly:

“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”

It’s a reminder that the God who sends us out like lambs among wolves…
is the same God who holds us like children in a mother’s arms.
The same God who says, “Travel light,” also says, “You are not alone.”

And St. Paul, in the second reading from Galatians, drives it home:

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He reminds us that our mission, our ministry, our whole Christian life—it’s not about appearances or achievements. It’s about the cross. It’s about becoming a new creation. And sometimes, the only way to be made new… is to let go of the old.

So maybe today’s Gospel is a good chance to ask ourselves:

• What spiritual baggage am I carrying that I could let go of?
  
  

• Where is Jesus sending me, two by two—not to conquer, but to bring peace?
  
  

• What if evangelization isn’t about having all the answers, but simply being present?
  
  

• And have I forgotten that the greatest joy isn’t in results—but in being written into the heart of God?

Let’s travel light. Trust deeply. And rejoice always.

Let’s go into the world not as tourists, but as pilgrims—sent with peace, equipped with grace, and rooted in the joy of knowing we are His.