the journey

Feb 3, 2005

Feb 3, 2005 Travel Light Mk 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them
authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick –no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there
and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil
many who were sick and cured them.

The reading from the Rule of St Benedict for today includes the 6th degree of humility which is to be content with the least of things. It has connected meaning to the gospel for the mass today which is above. To take nothing for the journey is an act of renouncing the material. To use only the barest of needs brings me back to the priority of doing good works as the Twelve did. Material "wants" blind me to the truly important needs of the journey. Free of petty self indulgences, I can be an instrument of healing in this world. The part that says to shake the dust off of your sandals where you are not welcome or listened to means to me that I should not allow those who are negative to entangle me but should continue on a healing journey as an instrument of God and not delay in the places where that will be blocked and held back.