He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. – Mark 6:8 

I met Tom in a business wealth forum that I attended. I came in late but found an empty seat beside him. During the break, the resource speaker asked the audience to discuss with our seatmates the questions posted on the screen. This allowed me to get to know Tom. He was more than happy to share his story. 

He grew up in a poor family in Cebu. He was lucky to get a college degree through scholarships. He tried to find work in his hometown but failed several times. He decided to travel to Manila to try his luck. He came to Manila with almost nothing except for the will to succeed and a lot of prayers. To cut the story short, he is now a successful businessman after persevering for many years. “My life has been difficult. But I have no regrets. The challenges increased my faith in God,” Tom said. 

Maybe this is why Jesus instructed the Apostles to travel with nothing—so they may rely more on God’s provision. It was training in increasing their faith in God. Alvin Fabella (alvinfabella@yahoo.com) 

Reflect:

“Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?” (Matthew 6:26) 

Jesus, help me see that my trials are not there to defeat me but to make me stronger. 

 St. Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us.

First Reading | Amos 7:12-15

When we are caught up in sin and hear a call to repent, we do not listen. The call to repentance is difficult to accept as it means admitting we are wrong and promising to walk away from sin. Let us pray for the grace to humble ourselves in repentance. 

¹² Amaziah, priest of Bethel, said to Amos, “Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah! There earn your bread by prophesying, ¹³ but never again prophesy in Bethel; for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.” ¹⁴ Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. ¹⁵ The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'” 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14

R: Lord, let us see your kindness, and grant us your salvation. 

⁹ I will hear what God proclaims; the Lord—for he proclaims peace. ¹⁰ Near indeed is his salvation to those who fear him, glory dwelling in our land. (R) ¹¹ Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. ¹² Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. (R) ¹³ The Lord himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. ¹⁴ Justice shall walk before him, and prepare the way of his steps. (R) 

Second Reading | Ephesians 1:3-14

This hymn in praise of God’s goodness is probably an early creedal statement. The author reminds the Ephesians that they are called to give glory to God. He recognizes that we are sons and daughters of God. This is the heart of the Gospel message. Let us focus on this truth and ask God to reveal to us its meaning. Let us also accept that such a dignity also entails responsibilities and duties. 

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, ⁴ as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love ⁵ he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, ⁶ for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace ⁸ that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight, ⁹ he has made known to us the mystery of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth. ¹¹ In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the one who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, ¹² so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ. ¹³ In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealedwith the promised holy Spirit, ¹⁴ which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory. 

Gospel | Mark 6:7-13 

Jesus wants His disciples to live simple lives. He wants them to humbly witness to the Gospel in all they do. It is easy to lose focus on the Gospel when we are distracted by the situation we are in. A true missionary ensures that the Gospel remains the focus of his or her life. 

Gospel Acclamation

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to our call. 

⁷ Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. ⁸ He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. ⁹ They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. ¹⁰ He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. ¹¹ Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.” ¹² So they went off and preached repentance. ¹³ The Twelve drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. 

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 36 - 40 today.

The word “mission” comes from the Latin word missio, which means being sent. If we look closely at the Gospel today, the sending off of the disciples was done in twos. Today, we see this practiced by some of our Protestant brothers and sisters. They go house to house always in pairs. 

The advantage of this practice in mission work is not only to spiritually support and encourage each other; it is also practical. When you are dealing with unclean spirits, casting demons, or healing the sick, it is better if you have a witness. Like the preaching of Jesus in His own native place, a crowd can easily turn against you. Thus, sending in pairs makes sense. 

If you have no one to check what you are doing, your decision-making is always according to your own judgment only. Doing the mission alone will develop a messianic complex in you and a feeling of being indispensable.In our spiritual life, we also need someone to guide us. If we do not share with someone what we are doing, if we are left on our own, we can easily do crazy things that are, in the end, not in accordance with God’s will. Why? His will today is not anymore packaged in visions and dreams. His will is manifested in our interaction with our family and community members. 

Mission does not mean conquering places. As long as there is someone that you bring to Christ, that is a mission. In fact, going by twos is, in itself, already a mission. To be conscious of the quantity in doing mission is good, but sometimes God will give us a mission that involves only a few people.

Think of one person. He or she could already be your lifetime mission. Remember that your mission is not yours, and therefore do not be so concerned about conquering the whole world. It is the job of the Holy Spirit. Just do your mission well. Fr. Wen Amit, OCD

 Reflection Questions:

To whom is Jesus sending you now? Who is your partner in mission? 

Thank You, Jesus, for entrusting us to continue Your mission on earth. May the Holy Spirit empower me in doing so. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _______________________________________________