Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus is sending out 72 disciples to go and prepare his way. To do this, he tells them they are to carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals, and surprisingly, greet no one on the way. These are strange instructions for travelers. What can we learn from these demands?
Carry no money bag. In this instruction, we can imagine Jesus is asking us to rely totally on his presence and grace. Money can make things easy for us, so we lose our way. It can also distract us from what is truly important. Carrying no money teaches us to focus on what is truly important.
Take no sack. Here, the lesson may be to let things happen as they will. We carry a bag to bring items we think we will need in some emergency or unique situation. We worry about what will happen next. Learning to be open to new or scary situations in pursuing God is critical.
Take no sandals. This might be a lesson in suffering. Sandals are critical in protecting our feet and making traveling possible. Without sandals, we open ourselves up to getting hurt. Jesus tells us that to be his disciples; we must be willing to pick up our cross and follow him. To pursue Christ means we must be willing to accept and endure suffering.
Last, greet no one. Despite sounding crude, the lesson here is that we must remain focused. Charity is needed, yet many things on the road can distract us. Are we willing and able to remove distractions from our lives that prevent us from moving forward?
Jesus asks a great deal from us; let us pray for the strength to persevere.
Reflection by Fr. Etienne Huard, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections