“Jesus summoned … two by two; gave them authority; no food, no sack, no money.”
Call to worship
In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends his apostles to preach repentance. They take nothing with them except the power of the Spirit. We, too are called to evangelize as they were — equipped with the power of our faith and our trust in God.
- To the point: Jesus sends disciples forth with no baggage, no money, not even any food. Instead, he provides them with the one essential resource. He gives them his authority to preach repentance, to cast out demons, to cure the sick. He also gives them each other, for they are not sent out alone but in partnership “two by two.” The gift of his authority and the gift of one another is essentially the gift of Jesus himself. So gifted, disciples cannot fail.
- Connecting the Gospel (Mark 6:7-13) to the first reading: Amos was taken away from shepherding his flock and sent by God to prophesy. The Twelve were called and sent forth by Jesus to continue his mission of salvation. Both Amos and the Twelve were sent out on the authority of divine commission. So are we.
- Connecting the Gospel to experience: We tend to live and work as if everything depends upon us. While we need to be realistic and practical about our role, we cannot lose sight of the One on whom we ultimately depend — Jesus — who sends us forth to continue his own saving mission.
Centering prayers
The Gospel
(Mark 6: 7-13)
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.”
Sent on a mission. This is why we are here.
Lord, help us. Let us take your healing love
to all our neighbors, down all our back streets,
to the boarders and the ends
of this earth and beyond,
to the environment you lovingly give to us.
No money in our belts, no clean socks,
no backpack no food.
Give to us this day, complete and total trust in you.
The First Reading
(Amos 7: 12-15)
“I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.”
God told Amos, shepherd and dresser of sycamores,
“Go to my people.”
God told Ignatius Loyola, vain soldier,
“Teach my people the manner to pray.”
To Dorothy Day, doubting journalist,
“Shelter my homeless.”
To Mother Theresa, “Care of my poor.”
Father of us all, teach us please. Then
let us teach your beloved people how to pray,
and how to shelter your homeless,
and how to care for your poor.
The Second Reading
(Ephesians 1: 3-14)
“In him you … were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance.”
Forgiven. Redeemed. Grace upon grace
heaped upon us. The first “installment of our legacy.”
What is to follow? Holy Spirit,
bottomless treasure, open us to your good self
now and for all eternity.
Copyright © 2021, Anne M. Osdieck
Music for reflection