Proverbs 30:5-9
Every word of God is tested;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver.
Two things I ask of you,
deny them not to me before I die:
Put falsehood and lying far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches;
provide me only with the food I need;
Lest, being full, I deny you,
saying, "Who is the Lord?"
Or, being in want, I steal,
and profane the name of my God.
Psalm 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Your word, O Lord, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
R./ Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
Lk 9:1-6
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.
He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them."
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.
Dear friends:
Jesus’s mission is clear: to announce and to heal. He came to announce the Good News and to build the Kingdom of peace, justice, health, and happiness. Jesus began this mission right there in the synagogue of Nazareth, where he made his own the words of the Prophet: «The Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, and to give sight to the blind.» It is a message that has been made flesh time and time again throughout history. We evoke a bold and subversive cry of Bishop Casaldáliga: «There are only two absolute things, God and hunger.» His friend and protector, Paul VI, formulated it in more orthodox terms, placing the absolute in Jesus and his Kingdom. And we ask for it in the Lord’s Prayer: «Hallowed be your name, give us our daily bread.
Jesus makes it clear in this text of six verses that he gave them power to heal diseases, sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom and to heal the sick, and that they went from village to village proclaiming the Gospel and healing everywhere. Healing comes before the proclamation of the Kingdom, which is curious. We know from the Gospel that sickness is synonymous with every evil, including psychological and spiritual. God wants man to live well. His programmatic discourse is a discourse of «Beatitudes.» The disciples are the continuation of Jesus. They continue his work and his word. But not at all. The Master shows them exactly what to do. First and foremost, they must be lightly packed, like the poet. «Take nothing for the journey.» The apostle doesn’t concern himself with the means; he is focused on the end of his task: God and His Kingdom. He then makes it clear that they must be hospitable, welcoming them into their homes. Jesus is aware that they will encounter difficulties, and he warns them that they may suffer rejection and lack of welcome. This is because God leaves intact the freedom of man before his proposal. However, this freedom is accompanied by responsibility. It cannot be the same thing to choose or not to choose for the Kingdom of God and its values.
All Christians are disciples and apostles. We are missionaries, and we are proud of it. Jesus sends us. If it comes from Jesus, we can be confident and free from fear and worry. We are chosen, we are blessed, and we are constituted suitable for the proclamation. This proclamation leaves us transformed. The proclamation is about the Kingdom, not the Church, not us. The content is words and works. Our mission will lack credibility without «healing.» Proclaiming the Gospel well inevitably leads to miracles. We must ask ourselves: What are the miracles and signs that make the message of Jesus more transparent? The first sign is our apostolic bearing: «without a staff, without a bag, without bread, without money.» The efficacy will not reside in the great boasts of the media, of multitudinous concentrations, of powerful figures. It will reside in the simplicity that makes us free and confident. What greater glory can we desire than to participate with Jesus in his project, in the dream of the Father over men?
GodgossipLord, our God,
your mercy extends to everyone.
Let your missionary Church go out to all
without any self-imposed, useless baggage
that obscures the pure message of the Gospel
but with great humility before the good will
and the hospitality of people.
May, thus, our receptivity to people
make them in turn receptive to the Good News
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
First Reading Introduction
The author admits his ignorance and attests to the solid value of divine wisdom. He prays for faithfulness and a life of neither abundance nor want.
Gospel Introduction
After his parables on the sower of the word and of the lamp, Luke, using the incident of Mary and Jesus' relatives seeking him out in the crowd, sums up by saying that Jesus' new family is made up of those who hear the word of God and live accordingly. Accepting the gospel transcends family ties. This is no direct rebuke to Mary, as we know that she received and responded to the word of God and pondered it in her heart. Like her, do we put it into practice?
– Lord, they were only fishers cleaning their nets, but you called the apostles to spread your Good News. Make us fearless to speak your Word, we pray:
– Lord, he was only a tax collector behind his desk, but you called Matthew to heal people and cast out devils. Wounded as we are, make us healers too, we pray:
– Lord, they are only plain, unpretentious people, but you call your faithful in our communities to tolerate no injustice, and to defend the poor. Speak through all of us what is right and good, we pray:
Creator of the whole world
and lover of all, our God,
we join your Son, Jesus Christ in his sacrifice
whereby he redeemed the world.
Through the Spirit of your Son,
enlighten and guide us
to bring his Good News as a light
to shine on all nations
and as the healing power
that reconciles all humanity with you,
our God, for ever and ever.
Lord our God,
your Son has again given us his command
to bring his message of hope and salvation
to all who are willing to listen.
We pray to you now for those
whom you call especially for this task.
Let them be so much in the grip of the Gospel
that they go out and place themselves
without fear or hesitation in the hands of people,
trusting in you and in the power of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
The whole Church is mission. Missionaries must leave behind their luggage of their culture and big means, go in all simplicity with the Good News of Jesus, but must be ready also to be rejected like their Master. May Almighty God bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
