15th Sunday in Ordinary Time | Go, you are sent.
[Deacon Gunther]
As her dad put the little girl on the new bike, she received for her birthday, she shouted “I can’t do it!”. “Don’t worry the training wheels will keep you up” her father said. “But I can’t steer” she replied. “I’ll steer for you” he said. But it was not going to happen. No matter how hard the father tried the girl was not ready to ride her bike yet. I think we can all relate, either as a parent or a child? Whether it was trying a new exotic food or diving off the high board or going on a first date. It’s always difficult to do new things the first time because we tend to be afraid that we will mess up. At those scary times we’re going from the known to the unknown and we don’t know what to expect.
Just imagine how difficult it would have been for the twelve disciples to receive their first call to action from Jesus. They had been following Jesus, watching him teaching and healing. But while they are still trying to soak in his wisdom, Jesus tells them … OK it is now their turn. Jesus knew their reservations and fears. And he knows ours as well.
So, like the disciples whom he sent out two-by-two, he doesn’t send us out with no support. Somehow, he equips us for our calls in life. When we face setbacks and difficulties,
He gives us each other as gifts to encourage each other through life’s journey.
For example, if you know someone that has had to move into a nursing home or who has been living alone, don’t forget that they still need you to visit them. Or if you know someone who recently lost a member of their family, they don’t just need a card, they also need your companionship. We are given each other as gifts of companionship. God gives us angels. He gives each of us friends, children, parents and pastors to help and support each other at difficult times. Hospitality is a great Christian virtue.
At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus had the problem of how his message would be broadcast to the world. Although a popular person, he could physically cover only a small area. And when you take into consideration that in those days there were no printed books, no newspapers, no internet or television, the only option Jesus had was to send his message via people. He chose to trust his message and ministry to twelve ordinary people, mostly fishermen.
Now that the Twelve had been with Jesus for some time, and had heard his teachings, and witnessed his miracles, Jesus called them and sent them out, two by two.
In the Gospel reading Jesus also asked his friends to travel lightly as they evangelize, no food, no sack, no money. I don’t know about you but when we pack for a trip we seem to need a lot of items. Even if we only travel out of town for a few days we usually take two large suit cases with extra clothing, shoes, pillows, toiletries, carbon monoxide detector, white noise maker, money, travel insurance, cell phone, iPads, and so on.
But Jesus asks us to live simply and not be dependent on useless things.
Perhaps we should periodically evaluate our possessions, especially those that we don’t use anymore. And then consider offering them to a St. Vincent de Paul Store, or Goodwill, or Salvation Army Store, that assist those in need.
Jesus gives the Apostles both power and authority to speak and to act in his name. He commands them to do the work that he himself did, namely to cast out evil spirits, to heal, and to proclaim the Word of God. Like he did with the Apostles, the Lord entrusts each of us with gifts and talents for the building up of God’s Kingdom. We need to ask ourselves, how are we using our gifts and talents?
Jesus sent the Twelve out to preach, teach and heal. Consider what it must have been like for them to have spent all that time hearing the words spoken by Jesus and to have seen him heal people. Now they themselves are the ones preaching the Good News, teaching about the Kingdom and healing others.
We too have spent time hearing the Word of God. We have experienced healing in the sacraments. How is God calling us to preach, teach and heal in the world today? God invites each of us to love others, to bring His compassion, and healing, and joy to others.
Will we let God summon us … and then send us?
It is important to remember that Church is not just some place we “go to” but rather some place we are also “sent from”. The exit signs we see above the doors in our Church can be for more than complying with safety standards. They can be a reminder that the word “Mass” comes from the Latin “ite missa est”, which means
“go, you are sent”.
Of course, few of us are called to be prophets or to wander towns driving out demons. But we all are called to be disciples, to follow Jesus. It’s a matter of finding out how. In his book “Food for the Soul” theologian Peter Kreeft writes:
“Whatever else we do as our full-time job; our most important full-time job is being a Christian. Being a Christian means being a missionary, because being a Christian just can’t help being an advertisement for what it is to be a Christian. How can you find out what way is God’s way for you? Pray! Ask your Lord that question, tell him you are his servant, and mean it, and he will answer it in your life.”
My friends, we who are Baptized have been summoned to continue the mission of Jesus in the world. Take a moment to ask God what gifts has he given us for the good of others. And how are we using those gifts?
May God bless you!
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