Build Your Joy on Who You Belong To

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, the seventy-two disciples come back excited. They have seen incredible things. They say to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” You can almost feel their energy. They have been sent out, they have preached, they have healed, they have seen the power of God at work through them. And Jesus does not deny any of it. In fact, He says, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.” But then He gives them a correction: “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In other words: do not build your joy on what you can do. Build your joy on who you belong to.

That is such an important lesson because we can easily base our identity on results. We feel good when things go well, when people appreciate us, when our work succeeds, when someone notices what we have done. And then when things fail, when we are criticised, ignored, or disappointed, suddenly we begin to question ourselves. But Jesus is saying: your deepest joy cannot come from success, because success can disappear. Your deepest joy cannot come from what people think of you, because opinions change. Your deepest joy comes from this: you are known by God, loved by God, and your name is written in heaven.

And maybe that is why Jesus immediately begins to rejoice in the Holy Spirit. He thanks the Father because these things have been revealed not to the “wise and learned” but to the childlike. God is not impressed by our image, our intelligence, our achievements, or our spiritual résumé. He looks for a heart that is open. A child does not come to a parent with a list of accomplishments. A child simply knows, “I belong here.” And maybe that is the kind of faith Jesus wants from us: not a faith that says, “Look at what I have done for God,” but a faith that says, “Look at what God has done for me.”

This Gospel also asks a very personal question: If everything I am proud of disappeared tomorrow, would I still know who I am? If my work changed, if my position disappeared, if people stopped praising me, if I could no longer do the things I once did – would there still be joy in my heart? Jesus is trying to give us a joy that circumstances cannot take away. There will be days when we succeed and days when we fail. There will be moments when we feel strong and moments when we feel completely useless. But one thing does not change: we belong to Him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes I look for my worth in what I achieve, in what others think of me, or in how successful I feel. Teach me to rejoice in something deeper: that You know me, You love me, and I belong to You. Give me the simple heart of a child, and let my greatest joy be that my name is written in heaven. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko