Wednesday of the
Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Proverbs 30:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)
Death is our biggest fear and greatest natural
threat. It may be considered the work of
the devil. It is not so bad when it
comes after a long life. The one who has
lived eighty-five or ninety years may even welcome death as the end to the pains
and humiliations of old age. But when it
threatens a young person or someone in middle age, it becomes a scourge. For this reason Jesus gives his choice Twelve
disciples power over demons and the ability to cure diseases.
Their mission is to proclaim the Kingdom of God. This is no monarchial territory but the reign
of justice and peace. Subjects of the
Kingdom are to live righteously, but they are freed from the terror of an early
death. The Kingdom’s full beneficence is
not revealed until the end of the gospel.
It bestows not only a long, worthwhile life but also the prospect of
eternal bliss. Those who prove
themselves righteous will share in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.
It is fashionable today to reject eternal life as
fanciful. Some try to content themselves
with following the customs and most of the commandments of Christianity. They reason that these traditions provide a satisfying
rhythm to life and a more or less workable morality. Not only will this mental picture prove
insufficient when life’s challenges mount, but it also betrays the wisdom of today’s
first reading. We are to accept the
gospel in its entirety. We also walk as
Jesus’ his disciples – poor but not wanting with the gracious help of one
another. With those disciples as well we
look up the road to an eternal destiny where every need is more than satisfied.
