Names Written in Heaven!

Saturday, October 3, 2026

Job 42: 1-3, 5-6, 12-17; Lk 10: 17-24

Today’s Gospel highlights that mission is meant to glorify God and not for self-glory.

The seventy-two disciples return from their mission with so much joy and enthusiasm because, for the first time, they have experienced the power of God at work among people. Their excitement can be seen in the words, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.’ They have understood that evil cannot prevail against the name of Jesus or the authority that is given by Jesus. 

However, instead of rejoicing with them, though they praise him, the Lord gives them a correction. The correction is not about condemning them. Nor is it to belittle their missionary success. Rather, Jesus wants to correct the way they understand their success. This is why he says, ‘Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’

In these words, Jesus highlights the danger of rejoicing in our own success. Indeed, the disciples acknowledge Jesus as the source of power when they say, ‘Demons are subject to us because of your name.’ However, at no point should we turn the achievement to ourselves. Just as the disciples do, Jesus wants us to realize that we are instruments of God and our joy comes from being used by God to fulfil His purposes.

Hence, Jesus wants us not to rejoice because of our achievements but because our names ‘have been written in heaven.’ To this end, Jesus wants us to examine if our life’s objectives align with God’s own, because our mission is not for ourselves but to fulfil God’s will. Through the corrective that the Lord offers, he does not spoil their joy but purifies it. Our joy rests in God, to whom we ultimately belong.

Let us pray that our mission may always glorify God.

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar