Amos 7.12-15/ Ps.85.9,10+11,12+13+14/ Ephesians 1.3-14/ Mark 6.7-13
A “missionary sending ceremony” typically happens in a particular religious missionary group or in a certain diocese when one or more members are about “to be sent” as missionary to a particular place of assignment given by the head of the congregation/missionary group, or by the diocesan bishop. It is indeed a grace too especially for a particular parish community when one or more members of the parish participate in the missionary endeavor of the Catholic Church. Therefore one or more members of a particular religious and missionary congregation or of a particular diocese enter the state of his/her calling/life of service to the church as “being sent,” or simply called “missionary”. Typically, there are instructions from the group of affiliation for every missionary to follow in “doing mission.”
As we see in our gospel reading today, Jesus gave some guidelines “to the twelve” who were sent two by two to carry-out the mission assigned to them. These guidelines are in fact have been bases in giving instructions to a life in the mission up to the present time.
A kind of missionary life or missionary vocation we have been mentioning above may not be for all. That is why many of our pastors and spiritual directors tell us often that we do not actually need to go in far flung places to be in service of our church with a label of “being sent,” or to be considered missionaries.
Every morning when I wake up and start the day, do I carry a sense of being sent for other members of the family in our respective homes. Each day I leave from the doorstep of my house, do I find myself being sent by Jesus as joyful missionary to people I meet and have interaction with, in the Church during Sundays, in workplace, in school and in place of relaxation.
With the instructions received by the twelve, Jesus was also concerned about detachment even to things they (the twelve) would think necessary to fulfill the missionary endeavors. They were instructed to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money in their belts”. His disciples who were given the authority over unclean spirits must be the first to trust in Him… so that they will be able to tell all people too to trust in Him. “This trust,” will stir repentance and new life, and acceptance of a true freedom Jesus offers.
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In modern time, what more do we think Jesus intends to tell us to be able to become His missionaries too, like His disciples, to/for the others. While Jesus calls us to get out from our comfort zones and calls us to tell people about detachment from material things, we too must experience the same detachment so that we can be better followers and joyful missionaries of Jesus.
We still have a long way to go, I suppose, for us to be able to truly follow the instructions of Jesus. However, we continue to believe that we are blessed in Christ. The power of the Word of Christ brings us to freedom from the weaknesses of this world. Through the blessed instructions of Jesus we will realize that there are more important things than what we have considered important up to this day. The Word of God enables us to truly wish “to be sent,” too and spread the merit of Christ`s offer of true freedom. We are more joyful when other people too are always free to do what is good and are always free to reject what is evil.
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