Word to the Wise
Thursday, February 1, 2024 - 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....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]
The Gospel According to Mark has identifiable "segments," with familiar traits. Chapters 3 and 6 each begin with Jesus being rejected and with Jesus calling the special Twelve to be with him and help him preach. Today, with chapter six, after being rejected by his people in Nazareth, Jesus summons the Twelve and sends them on mission to preach repentance and to heal. Their lifestyle was to be an important part of that preaching. They weren't to keep looking for better accommodations and should accept whatever hospitality is offered.
For us Dominicans, this should remind us of St. Dominic's instructions to his first followers. The preacher's lifestyle is a part of the message. I am reminded of the media guru, Marshall McLuhan's famous dictum: "The medium is the message!" This, in turn, raises the fundamental question for any Christian: "How does the way I live reflect what I believe?" Does the consumer-oriented culture we live in shape our faith? Do our political beliefs serve as filters for the gospel? Are the "demons" that the Twelve are called to cast out existing in a more subtle form in our day in material and political considerations?
The gospels were written, in part, for early Christian preachers to read and shape their lives accordingly for the sake of the mission. What shape are we in? AMEN