Gospel: Mark 6: 7-13
Year B
Jesus called the twelve and sent them out….
It’s the first mission of Your Apostles. A Good Educator, You make them experience a little bit of what their life will be like. You send them two by two: they will have to help each other, mutual support…. They will most importantly of all have to proclaim Your message of love by example of their lives: They will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another…(Jn. 13:35).
You give them power over evil spirits… The mission You entrust to them is not easy. It is Your mission. It involves liberating people from the clutches of the devil, and restoring them to life as children of God…. You pointed this out from the start of Your ministry: I came to liberate captives, to free the downtrodden (Lk. 4:18). It is necessary to rescue those imprisoned by sin, captives of the devil. The task is difficult, because this devil is not going to relinquish his prey without resistance, nor to allow himself to be dispossessed from domination of the world that he has overwhelmed.
He instructed them to take nothing for the road….
What a strange recommendation for an almost impossible mission! Your disciples haven’t the slightest formation for such a mission … and You deprive them of all resources! Truly, Lord, Your ‘logic’ is not that humans! You thus remind us that the salvation of the world does not come from us, but from You. It is not ‘our’ message, ‘our’ ideas that we must proclaim, but Your message … and Your love. We must not rely on ‘us’, but must be docile instruments in Your hands. The Apostles understood … and the result followed: They set out to preach repentance, casting out demons and healing the sick….
Through the Eucharist, You remain with us, Lord, and You are our strength to accomplish what You ask of us. May You be blessed for this Bread of Life so generously offered! Keep us aware of our poverty, and of Your ever-faithful help.
