Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 6, 2020 - Thursday in the 4th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 2:1-4, 10-12 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. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick - no food, no sack, no money in their belts...... So, they went off and preached repentance. [Mark]
FEBRUARY 6 ST. PAUL MIKI AND COMPANIONS, martyrs
Jesus began his ministry by choosing twelve disciples to share the task of preaching the kingdom. But they stayed with him until now. It was time for them to go out and spread the gospel and accomplish the same works - driving out demons and healing the sick! That would be scary enough, but Jesus' instructions about lifestyle meant the disciples had to rely entirely on God and the generosity of local people for food and shelter. In other words, the lifestyle of the disciple preached before they said or did anything else!
When Saints Dominic and Francis founded their respective religious orders, they were both very intent on the question of voluntary poverty and begging. That is why Dominicans and Franciscans and similar orders founded in the 13th and 14th centuries are called "mendicant" orders, from the Latin word mendicare, which means "to beg." There was continual reference to the Acts of the Apostles and the descriptions of the early Christian community (Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-36).
In my itinerant preaching ministry over the last ten years or so, I was continually humbled by the generosity of the people in the parishes and retreat facilities that I visited. But I know I brought a lot of items with me on the road that would not have met inspection by Jesus' criteria! The challenge is still there for all of us to consider. How much do I need to live a truly Christian life that proclaims the Kingdom of God? AMEN
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