When artist Bob Kane created The Batman in 1938, the so-called Dark Knight was a solitary figure. But in 1940 Kane decided that his nocturnal detective needed a partner. So, hoping to draw in younger readers, Kane introduced Robin: the Boy Wonder. Together Batman and Robin would become the symbols of justice in Gotham City: the Dynamic Duo. In the years since, these two caped crusaders have become one of the most recognizable teams in all of popular culture. There is something special about a great duo. Comics have Batman & Robin; dance has Fred and Ginger; Sesame Street has Bert and Ernie; tennis has the Bryan brothers, and so on. There is so much that a good duo can accomplish when they work together.

I suspect that Jesus had this in mind when He sent out the seventy-two; He understood the importance of teamwork. By sending them out in pairs, Jesus made sure that they could be there for each other, hold each other accountable, and remind each other that their mission was not to be cluttered by unnecessary baggage. Heading out together would mean they could lift each other’s spirits when times got tough or tell stories to each other to pass the time on their long journeys. But above all, by sending them out in pairs, Jesus reassured them that they were not alone. This work to which they were called—and the work to which we ourselves are called—would not be a solitary endeavour. “You’re going to need each other,” Jesus was telling them. We’re going to need each other, too.

These days, we often feel like we have to do everything on our own, living in a society that champions the individual. How lonely this attitude can be! What a comfort it is, then, to hear Jesus tell us today that we are not alone. We were made for each other; made for relationship. Our relationships are grounded in the first ever relationship: the covenant God made with humanity at the dawn of time. Just as God created us to be in relationship with God, so we embody that same relationship with one another. We dare not undertake God’s commission to reconcile all creation alone! It is only by bearing one another’s burdens that God’s work can be accomplished through us.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, our Gospel imperative cannot be exercised by lone rangers, or by just John and I, or by just the youngens among us. This is the shared responsibility of us all. We all work together towards salvation by praying together, acting together, sharing in Communion together, singing together, serving together, laughing together. We are stronger together than apart, and together, with God’s power working through us, we will do amazing things!