Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 5, 2009 - St. Agatha, virgin and martyr
[Hebrews 12:18-19, 21-24 and Mark 6:7-13]Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits......
There had to come a point at which Jesus could no longer do everything himself and needed to have help to get the message out! So, he gives the Twelve their training and their marching orders! I wonder how many of us could follow those orders? Later on we know that he called others as well. Eventually those called others and so on.........This is how the faith eventually became known - dedicated individuals put their lives on the line and went out to preach, relying on God and the goodness of others to supply them with their basic needs. In our own day, I have always admired those who have that spirit, such as the folks who run Catholic Worker Houses! It is a mistake to believe that the task of preaching the gospel is confined to those who have been called to Holy Orders! The very fact that the Church's membership is overwhelmingly laypersons should awaken us all to the enormity of that fact. Bishops and clergy have their role in guaranteeing the accuracy of teaching, the celebration of liturgy, and the maintaining of continuity in pastoral practice - but when that role is characterized by too much reliance on power OVER instead of power SERVING, the gospel is not preached but hoarded! St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in Africa, once wrote to his people: "What I am for you terrifies me; what I am with you consoles me. For you I am a bishop; but with you I am a Christian. The former is a duty; the latter a grace. The former is a danger; the latter, salvation." All of us, from the TWELVE to the newest born baptized baby, should take our training from Jesus and take our mission seriously for we are all baptized into the one Spirit. AMEN
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