Only St Luke gives us today's Gospel story of Jesus sending out seventy two disciples on mission. His account shows that the mission of the seventy two is parallel to the mission of the Twelve Apostles (9:1-6).

We may consider the story of Jesus sending out the Twelve Apostles as a model for the hierarchical mission of the Church. Similarly, a consideration of the mission of the seventy two disciples may help us to reflect upon some aspects of a lay vocation in the Church.

The mission of the Twelve Apostles is recorded first, before the account of the mission of the seventy two. This order may be intentional, to underline the importance of the Twelve and their mission. However, it is worth noting that the instructions given to the seventy two disciples are almost the same as those given to the Twelve Apostles. This implies a great similarity in mission, and even a certain equality in importance. The priority of the mission of the Twelve does not in any way abrogate any of the importance of the mission of the seventy two disciples. A detailed meditation on all the elements in Luke's account will deepen our understanding of the importance of the lay vocation in the Church in the modern world.