TAKE NOTHING FOR THE JOURNEY!
Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest
My dear encountered couples:
Today Jesus gives the disciples a wonderful gift: he gives them power and authority over all demons as well as the ability to cure diseases. He then sends them forth “to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” He instructs them to travel lightly. He tells them to take nothing for the journey, not money, not a walking stick, not a suitcase , not even food. They are to depend on the kindness and generosity of the people they serve.
Can you imagine going on a trip without at least two suitcases and a flight bag hanging from your shoulder? Anything less and we’d feel insecure. And here Jesus is telling his apostles not to take a travelling bag, not even any traveler checks. Now that’s going a bit far. Without money and credit cards we wouldn’t wander five blocks from home.
But these words of Jesus should give us something to think about. We have gotten used to so many things that we find it nearly impossible to distinguish necessities from desires. Among the things that we have, which ones are really needed? Which ones were extras in the beginning but are now included among the necessary? We have become dependent upon so much. As someone once said, “Camping out for me means a motel room with a black and white TV.”
There is a danger that is very subtle. Without realizing it we can become dangerously dependent upon our material possessions. If we need them to feel secure and safe, how does that affect our relationship with God? Aren’t we supposed to depend on him? At least for something?
Jesus was trying to raise the level of the Apostle’s faith. That is why he told them to take next to nothing along with them. Possibly, and probably, we have far too much for our own good. What is it that we are going to reach out and grasp for when we are dying? Will it be God? Or will it be our things? We all need to understand better why we think we need so much.
