Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 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 Verbs of Evangelization
1. Call. No matter your vocation, it’s God who calls you—even to the Christian life itself. It’s God’s invitation, and you’re free to accept or turn it down; God will always give you that freedom. He first calls you to be near Him, because the mission only arises from a personal encounter with Him. The specific mission God offers you grows from that closeness. That’s why every vocation requires a period of getting to know God to discern your direction. For priests, this happens during the eight years of seminary training; for married couples, through courtship and engagement; for religious life, in the postulancy and novitiate. God’s call comes at a unique time in your life and shouldn’t be ignored. Instead, embrace it, live it fully, reflect on it, and let it deepen. When did you sense God inviting you to be part of His team?
2. Send out. The second verb found in the Gospel is “send.” You are sent on a concrete mission, and it’s there that you are called to become holy and make the most of your life. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of constantly wandering, “dabbling” a bit in everything. But that’s not what God asks; He sends you to bring Good News and hope to very specific people and situations—your community, family, work, or circumstance. To truly share the Gospel, you can’t try to play the guitar, the drums, and the flute all at once. If you do, you’ll probably make a noise instead of music and you’ll end up drained and disheartened. Focus on what you’re meant to do. Don’t spread yourself too thin, attempting everything but achieving nothing.
3. Give authority. The third verb is “give.” Authority or power only comes after drawing close to Jesus and being sent out; if it comes first, it can harm or even derail the mission. Power without a spiritual perspective or God’s presence can foster ambition and lead you to live off others, not for others. The authority God grants is always for serving and healing, to bring peace and joy to others’ lives. Because of this, we shouldn’t seek to benefit materially at the expense of others’ pain or suffering. Go out and be a missionary today but let your mission flow from your encounter with Christ. Without spiritual life and prayer, there is no mission—only aimlessness.
Remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you and keep you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
