The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to do an inventory of Providence in our life and respond with confidence in activating our Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader.
The reading from the Book of Proverbs declares Sufficiency in God.
* [30:5–6] Verse 5, like the confession of the king in Ps 18:31 (and its parallel, 2 Sm 22:31), expresses total confidence in the one who rescues from death. Agur has refused a word from any other except God and makes an act of trust in God.
* [30:7–9] A prayer against lying words and for sufficiency of goods, lest reaction to riches or destitution lead to offenses against God. (Proverbs, CHAPTER 30 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 119 praises the Glories of God’s Law.
* [Psalm 119] This Psalm, the longest by far in the Psalter, praises God for giving such splendid laws and instruction for people to live by. The author glorifies and thanks God for the Torah, prays for protection from sinners enraged by others’ fidelity to the law, laments the cost of obedience, delights in the law’s consolations, begs for wisdom to understand the precepts, and asks for the rewards of keeping them. (Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus describes the Mission of the Twelve.
* [9:1–6] Armed with the power and authority that Jesus himself has been displaying in the previous episodes, the Twelve are now sent out to continue the work that Jesus has been performing throughout his Galilean ministry: (1) proclaiming the kingdom (Lk 4:43; 8:1); (2) exorcising demons (Lk 4:33–37, 41; 8:26–39) and (3) healing the sick (Lk 4:38–40; 5:12–16, 17–26; 6:6–10; 7:1–10, 17, 22; Lk 8:40–56).
* [9:3] Take nothing for the journey: the absolute detachment required of the disciple (Lk 14:33) leads to complete reliance on God (Lk 12:22–31).
* [9:5] Shake the dust from your feet: see note on Mt 10:14. (Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB, n.d.)
Kimberly Grassmeyer comments that Luke 9:1-6 - tells that these faithful followers were asked by Jesus to carry on his work: to go forth to proclaim the Kingdom of God, and heal the sick. They were apparently not to fear having been acquainted with the man who had been singled out for ridicule, torture and death; rather, they were to claim Christ, proclaim Christ, and continue the work of Christ.
I had the good fortune last year to travel to Greece; while there I visited a site on the Aegean Island of Patmos named The Holy Cave of the Apocalypse. This holy place is reported to be where the Apostle John had been exiled following Christ’s death, and where he wrote (recorded?) the Book of Revelations. My brief time there challenged me to reflect on the ways in which I experience Christ and live out his teachings; today’s reading returned me to that place and those reflections. Do I willingly and with joy spread God's word? Do I give what I can to heal the hunger, sickness, or broken spirits of others? How do I carry on, generations and centuries later and in my own small way, Jesus’ request of his closest and most trusted followers? Am I worthy to call myself Christian when I fall short?
Today I pray for each of us to have a faith that is strong enough to burn within us the desire to fulfill this simple call: to claim Christ in our lives and to heal others. We can actualize the call by telling his story and giving freely of ourselves to others who need our light and our love. Amen. (Grassmeyer, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Jesus gave power and authority to his apostles,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"The grace bestowed upon the holy apostles is worthy of all admiration. But the bountifulness of the Giver surpasses all praise and admiration. He gives them, as I said, his own glory. They receive authority over the evil spirits. They reduce to nothing the pride of the devil that was so highly exalted and arrogant. They render ineffectual the demon's wickedness. By the might and efficacy of the Holy Spirit, burning them as if they were on fire, they make the devil come forth with groans and weeping from those whom he had possessed... He glorified his disciples, therefore, by giving them authority and power over the evil spirits and over sicknesses. Did he honor them without reason and make them famous without any logical cause? How can this be true? It was necessary, most necessary, that they should be able to work miracles, having been publicly appointed ministers of sacred proclamations. By means of their works, they then could convince men that they were the ministers of God and mediators of all beneath the heaven. The apostles then could invite them all to reconciliation and justification by faith and point out the way of salvation and of life that is this justification." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 47) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:1-6 comments that we are called to travel light because our Father is trustworthy; we can depend on him to give us what we need. We are often tempted to misplace our trust and overstuff our bags with things we think will bring us security, like our possessions, human acclaim, or worldly success. But these “treasures” weigh us down and keep us from trusting the Lord. In the end, they make our journey more difficult. In contrast, the more loosely we hold onto these treasures, the more we will experience God’s faithfulness and provision.
This is especially true when God invites us to share our faith or to be generous with our finances. When our confidence comes from human esteem, we can dread initiating a conversation about Jesus because we fear rejection. Or when we find security in money, sharing our resources with someone in need feels too risky. But when we trust in God to provide for us, we have peace in our hearts and can reach out with words of hope.
So what’s weighing you down today? Whether it’s material possessions, the pursuit of success, or the burdens of life, Jesus invites you to ponder, Is this necessary? Or will it just weigh me down?
God provided for the disciples as they went out to preach the gospel—and he will provide for you.
“Lord, I surrender all my burdens to you.” (Meditation on Luke 9:1-6, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the wisdom sayings from Proverbs that seek neither poverty nor riches that may lead to stealing or arrogance. Jesus sends the Twelve to Proclaim the Law and Love of God trusting in Providence to meet their needs. Friar Jude notes Luke, the physician, may have seen disease as demonic.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Mirabai Starr who writes about mysticism we can experience in the “monasteries” of our everyday lives. Starr encourages us to commit to discovering the hidden depths of love in mundane situations:
You can start right here, in the middle of your messy life. Your beautiful, imperfect, perfect life. There is no other time, and the exact place you find yourself is the best place to enter. Despite what they might have taught you at Bible Camp or in yoga class, you are probably not on your way to some immaculate state in which you will eventually be calm and kindly enough to be worthy of a direct encounter with the divine. Set your intention to uncover the jewels buried in the heart of what already is. Choose to see the face of God in the face of the bus driver and the moody teenager, in peeling a tangerine or feeding the cat. Decide. Mean it. Open your heart, and then do everything you can to keep it open. Light every candle in the room…. (Rohr, n.d.)
We may be restricted by a sense of not being fully prepared for or worthy of our mission even as we sense the nudges of the Spirit to witness our relationship with Christ in our actions of truth, compassion, and love today.
References
Grassmeyer, K. (n.d.). Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. OnlineMinistries. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092524.html
Luke, CHAPTER 9 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?
Meditation on Luke 9:1-6. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://wau.org/meditations/2024/09/25/1080512/
Proverbs, CHAPTER 30 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/proverbs/30?5
Psalms, PSALM 119 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/119?
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Orienting Toward the Sacred. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/orienting-toward-the-sacred/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 25, 2024, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2024&date=sep25
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