Wednesday of the Twenty-Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

So they set out and went on their way spreading the good news and curing diseases.

That is the conclusion of all Jesus’ training of the 12 for their mission and the rather simple instructions he gave them. Recall one of the purposes of Jesus calling the twelve was first that they might be with him, and that they be sent. As today’s account portrays it, they accepted his mission and the guidelines he gave them and then they set out.

Jesus prepared them for their mission: he gave them authority over demons, and to cure diseases. He told them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and heal those in need. Then he gave some rather seemingly severe instructions, as to how they should go about the mission: take nothing with you, no money, no bags, no bread.

We usually hear this passage and react by thinking that it reminds us of the basic mission we have all received from Jesus. Along with it, we hear the call to simplicity in the carrying out of that mission. Sometimes we hear that call to simplicity and proceed to explain it away. Oh, the gospel does not mean we should have absolutely nothing. It means we should not become attached to possessions, comforts, money, or luxury.

Yet how do we take those passages? Do we say, oh they apply to Franciscans, and others like them? They clearly give us something to think about.

That is what the gospel does today: gives us something to think about. The love of money is not the root of all evil, and we aren’t meant to have absolutely nothing. But how much do we need? And what do we do with what we have? How do our ‘things’ (possessions) serve our mission?

Reflection by Fr. Peter Ullrich, OSB