Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Ezra 9:5-9; Luke 9:1-6)
For centuries Christians have made
pilgrimages to holy places. The early
English literary masterpiece Canterbury Tales relates the stories of
pilgrims to England’s most revered shrine, the tomb of St. Thomas Becket. Pilgrims in Mexico walk from wherever they
live to Tepeyac hill where the Virgin Mary appeared to an indigenous holy
man. Pilgrims perform essentially the
same service as Jesus’ apostles in today’s gospel.
The apostles are to proclaim the Kingdom of
God. They do so by traveling without
gear or money. In their journey they
will show how they might rely on divine Providence. Of course, they will often be graciously
treated, which also indicates the presence of the Kingdom. They may not be
accepted at all. In this case they demonstrate the Kingdom by not cursing the
place but simply shaking the dust off their feet there. How they heal the sick is not explained. However, it might be the case that their
blessing charges the infirmed with new reason for living.
We should see ourselves on a perpetual
mission to proclaim the Kingdom. We want
to live more dependent upon God than worried about security. We should share joyfully the help others
invariably provide. We also will refrain
from unnecessary judgment so that our encounters will lift people’s spirits.
