Word to the Wise
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
[Proverbs 30:5-9 and Luke 9:1-6]Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
All college students must eventually face the fact that those wonderful days of undergraduate and graduate education must come to an end and they have to leave the womb of the university and "save the world!" (Of course, some manage to prolong the time by becoming professors themselves!) It's a scary time. It can also be an exhilarating time because the newly "minted" lawyer, doctor, priest experiences a change in the way people see them. There is POWER in their profession! Of course there is that all too human problem with pride and the all too human disappointment when not every demon responds! Jesus calls the Twelve and says, "Now it's your turn." We learn later on in Chapter 10 that they come back very excited about what they were able to do! And Jesus has to warn them about getting too hooked on what they can do as if it is their power. We are told that "with God all things are possible." In preaching, we have to believe that or we will be inevitably disappointed by the results or over excited by Sunday church door praise. The task of preaching the gospel and healing the sick and casting out demons requires a lifetime commitment and not just a weekend excursion! The charism of people like St. Vincent de Paul who founded a family of disciples that include laity and religious and clergy around the world can serve as an example. They work directly with the poor. This work is not for dilettantes! It means a day in and day out effort! Dorothy Day would serve as another good example in the USA. When the Lord called the Twelve, he included us! So, we'd better get going and be prepared to be surprised by the results. AMEN
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