15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Am 7: 12-15; Eph 1: 3-14; Mk 6: 7-13

The gospel reminds us of the missionary nature of the Church and of the attitude that we are to bring in fulfilling our mission.

The Church or the community of Jesus’ disciples is missionary by nature. The Lord did not gather followers in order to form an exclusive community of friends. Rather, he invited people to follow his footsteps and to prepare them for a great mission. He gathered disciples who will serve the needs of others, not his personal interests. He called them not to work for him but to work with him for the building of God’s kingdom on earth.

It is important that we remain conscious of the identity and mission that we received in the sacrament of baptism. We are Christians and we are missionaries by vocation. We cannot be Christians only on Sundays and inside the Church building. We cannot be Christians only within our Charismatic communities or prayer groups. Rather, our true identity summons us to go out to the world in order to share the love of God to others everyday of our lives. The Lord has empowered us to become teachers, healers, sanctifiers and leaders of the community.

Jesus sent his disciples out on a mission “two by two”. In ancient times, it was not safe to travel alone because there could be robbers along the way. Disciples had to protect one another as they tried to do their mission. This passage would remind us that the Christian mission is never a private endeavor. We always do our mission as a team because the task is not easy. We need God’s strength and one another’s help in order to succeed in the work of saving lives.

Furthermore, the Lord ordered his missionaries “to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, and no money in their belts.” During biblical times, this was not unusual. Travelers had to walk a long, long way and it was not practical for them to carry a lot of stuff on the journey. And besides, bringing extra money and material baggage would only attract robbers who were common in those days. The disciples, therefore, were to depend primarily in the goodness of God and in the hospitality of people for their daily sustenance.

We are living in a different time and situation. Nevertheless, the Lord’s admonition to his disciples to travel light remains relevant. We need to be wise in handling earthly possessions because often they distract us from seeing the plan of God in our lives and hinder us from following the Lord. Moreover, we have to show people that genuine happiness can be found primarily in right relationships with God and with one another, and not in material wealth alone.

It is not only things or material wealth that we stuff in our luggage or carry along in our life. It may be the excess trappings of our status and privilege in society. It also might be our crusty ideas and ideologies. Hence, we need to be outstanding not only in simplicity but also in humility in order to attract people to the life and teachings of Jesus.

One day, Saint Francis asked a brother of his community to come with him to the town in order to preach. They walked through the fields, the town market, the plaza, and back.

When they finally got back home, the brother asked, “Have we forgotten the purpose of our visit to the town? We haven’t preached at all.”

“Yes, we did.” Francis replied. “We only use words when necessary!”

(The story is from an unknown author)