Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 3, 2022 - 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. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic......[Mark]
We Dominicans [the Order of Preachers = O.P.] know well the foundation story of our order in the 13th century. Dominic, a cathedral Canon of St. Augustine in Osma, Spain, and the bishop of Osma, Diego, were on an official mission to Denmark to facilitate arrangements for a royal marriage. They passed through southern France where a heretical sect known as the Albigensians had made great gains among the people. The Vatican had sent some abbots and other high officials to preach against the heresy but they were having little or no effect because they traveled in style and luxury, whereas the heretical preachers were austere and poor, like the people to whom they preached. Dominic and Diego proposed a different strategy. The preachers of the true faith were to travel like the heretical ones and live an "apostolic" lifestyle. Diego returned to his diocese but Dominic remained in southern France, gathered a few "disciples" and thus was born the Order of Preachers. ["Dominicans" is our nickname.]
To the amazement of his little group of disciples, Dominic did what Jesus did in the gospel scripture for today. He divided the group and sent some to Paris and to Bologna to study, preach and start new communities. They were to rely on charity for their sustenance! In other words, they were to beg for their living (which gave rise to the term "mendicant order" which refers to Dominicans, Franciscans and other orders of friars who begged door to door). Thus the Dominican order has been associated with university presence, teaching and itinerant preaching from its beginnings.
For about 17 years (1992-2009) I was a "part time" itinerant preacher of retreats and parish missions. From 2009 to 2019, I was full time in that ministry. I must confess that I did not travel as lightly as Jesus commanded! But I did have the freedom to travel and preach from Alaska to Florida, California to Maryland. I did have to learn how to live out of a suitcase, but when I was able to drive, I had resources and comforts packed away in the car! I hope there was at least some simplicity evident. The visual witness and lifestyle of the preacher preaches before he or she opens his or her mouth! Jesus and Dominic make that clear! What do people see when the preacher arrives?
Itinerancy is now defined for me by where this reflection goes on the internet. [Although I still do an occasional retreat.] But all of us who are baptized carry our faith with us wherever we go. The old poster I once saw sums it up: "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" AMEN