Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
I work for Heart to Honduras, a non-profit organization that serves the materially poor in communities of rural Honduras. Part of my ministry involves traveling to Honduras, and I’ve spent countless weeks living in families’ homes in the villages. I know what it’s like to travel to a community and receive the hospitality of the people living there. It’s a gift beyond measure. I do not know, however, what it’s like to travel without a packed bag! I travel light, but I do bring the basic necessities. I can’t imagine what the disciples must have felt and thought as they set out on their evangelistic journey without any provisions. Today’s Gospel illustrates an invitation to great faith and trust in our Lord who summons us to be participants on the playing fields of the Kingdom.
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. I think sometimes we read these biblical accounts and believe that the disciples and others were unique and special individuals who were singled out to receive discrete gifts given only to them and only for a defined time. These biblical “super-heroes” were giants of the faith who lived long ago, and those days are long gone. But nothing could be farther from the truth! Jesus empowers us for Kingdom work, just as he filled the Twelve with the spiritual strength they needed for their mission. If you think about it, we are actually the super-heroes of our generation! We have something the people of Jesus’ day did not have – the continual out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. We are Kingdom players on the other side of Pentecost; we possess the same resurrection power that blew the stone away from the tomb on Easter morning! That’s a definite reality for you and for me. No one is left out; all are filled, all are called out onto the playing field.
At Confirmation, we are given the Gifts of the Spirit. These gifts give us the same kind of power and authority that Jesus gave to the Twelve. The gifts are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. These realities are attributed to the coming Messiah in Isaiah 11:2-3. Jesus possessed these gifts, and he imparts them to us in Confirmation through a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, we have the Fruit of the Spirit by virtue of our Baptism: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). St Paul goes on to say, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (vs 25). Keeping in step with the Spirit means being wide open and receptive, moment-by-moment to whatever charism God wants to pour out upon and within us. In addition to the Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit, God will give us whatever power and authority we need by that same Spirit for the situations of our lives.
Jesus sent the Twelve out without any provisions for the journey. I believe that metaphorically we can know that as we set out to proclaim the Kingdom by our daily lives that we take nothing with us of our own strength or human provision. The more that we can die to self and be receptive to God, the more God can work through us to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. It’s actually quite freeing to spend our days knowing that our discipleship is not up to us! Our human strength is so frail and puny. But God fills us with resurrection power and gives us what we need for each encounter, each situation, each challenge, each person who needs to see and touch Jesus through us.
You may have situations in your life right now for which you feel ill-equipped. You may also feel bewildered and confused to think about what it means to “proclaim the Kingdom of God.” Know that you’re not alone. Today’s Gospel invites us to consider what it means to venture out without a walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, nor second tunic, and to trust that the One who sends us is faithful and will provide everything that we need, spiritually, for our assignment.
- Elizabeth Wourms