A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (9:1-6)
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases,
and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God
and to heal the sick.
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.
Reflection: In today’s Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls the Twelve together, empowers them, and sends them out with a very specific instruction: “Take nothing for the journey”. However, stripped of material security, they were instead clothed in a far greater armor—He gives them power and authority to heal and to overcome evil. The power He gives them is, the Holy Spirit—an internal grace.
As baptized Catholics, you and I, are given that exact same call. Through our Baptism and Confirmation, we are given the grace to bring Christ’s love, peace, and healing, into a broken world. You don’t need a degree in theology, to be a missionary in your own family, workplace, or neighborhood. You just need a heart, willing to say “yes” to Jesus. Then go on your mission, counting on Christ’s internal grace.
Why did Jesus instruct His disciples, with a radical command to detach from everything? “…neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.” Perhaps, He wants His disciples to depend entirely on God’s Divine Providence. When we pack our lives with excess—whether it’s material possessions, a desire for constant control, or deep anxieties about the future—we leave very little room, for God to move. Traveling light means, trusting that God will provide exactly what we need, exactly when we need it—just ask anyone who has walked the Camino de Santiago, how true that is to pack light. Four of the men I fellowship, that I Group weekly, are witness of that, when they walked the Camino in 2018. [Dcn. Paul, Dcn. Bill, Ernie-RIP, and Claude-RIP].
This brings us directly, to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known worldwide, as Padre Pio, who’s Memorial is today; a witness of whose entire life, was a living mirror of this Gospel. Padre Pio was a humble Capuchin friar, who owned practically nothing. He lived in a simple monastery, wore a plain habit, and spent his days in prayer, and hearing confessions.
Yet, because he traveled so light and kept his heart entirely open, God filled him, with incredible spiritual gifts, to heal the sick and bring souls back to the Church. His focus was never on his own comfort, but entirely on the Kingdom of God. Padre Pio famously gave us a saying, that perfectly summarizes the trust required, in today’s Gospel:
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, pray for us…
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Take a moment today, to find a place free of distractions. Sit there for a moment, looking at your own life. Then, hear Jesus asking you, to do the same thing He asked, of the Twelve and of Padre Pio:
- Identify what is weighing you down: What “extra tunics” or heavy bags of worry, resentment, or material distractions, are you carrying?
- Leave room for grace: Give those burdens over to Christ, and trust, that He will give you the grace to handle, whatever comes your way today.
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