Word to the Wise
Sunday, July 12, 2015 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - B
[Amos 7:12-15; Eph 1:3-14 or 1:3-10; Mark 6:7-13]"So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them." [Mark]
Early in the 13th century, while on a journey with his bishop, St. Dominic noted that the efforts of official preachers in Southern France to combat a heretical movement were unsuccessful because their lifestyle was opulent. The heretical preachers, on the other hand, lived according to the descriptions found in the Acts of the Apostles (2:42-47 and 4:32-35). When Dominic set about establishing the Order of Preachers, he was determined that they would live a simple lifestyle and also be well-prepared to counter any heretical arguments. Eight hundred years later (2016 is our 800th Jubilee!), we are still at it. Today's gospel is older than that, and Jesus' admonitions to the Twelve are still in place not only for Dominicans but for any "missionary disciple," as Pope Francis calls for!
Another feature of missionary discipleship would be the expectation that rejection comes with the territory. Jesus even gives the disciples a dramatic gesture, "Shake the dust off your feet..." when parting from hostile territory. In today's first scripture, we encounter the prophet Amos, who came out of nowhere from sheepherding and tree trimming to challenge the greatest powers in Northern Israel. The power of being "nobodies" can be amazing. The Twelve preach repentance, cast out demons, and heal the sick.
The point of all this is to challenge all of us who think, "Who am I to preach repentance or encounter the various demons of our age, or heal the sick?" Jesus did not select celebrities. Nor did God pick out Amos as an influential figure to preach a message of reform. All of us are called to be "missionary disciples" and to live simply in a society that is saturated with consumerism and secular ideology. We Dominicans do the best we can to do our part and we can use all the help we can get, even after 800 years! AMEN
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