Wednesday of the Twenty-FifthWeek in Ordinary Time
The daily mission
He 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. Lk 9,1-6
Today we are confronted with the Magna Charta of the missionary. In half an hour we will get up from the table, we will go to fulfill the commitments of our day: in office, in school and at the university. None of us will go on mission as described in the gospel today, but everyone, whatever is his activity, will have to play as a missionary. There is indeed a way to work, to study and to teach, such that, without going to evangelize, it is as we would go to evangelize. The Lord does not tell us what we will have to do or to say, as he did not say to the Apostles in the today gospel. The Holy Spirit will tell it us. The Lord .says to us, instead, as we have to go, because the way according to which we will go is an integral part of our mission.. He does not say to go into poverty, but “in essence,” as people to whom nothing is lacking and for whom nothing is too much. The gospel also says that we should go with the authority to cast out demons and to cure diseases, but we should not make any exorcism. However, if we will work with competence, with generosity, with charity, with simplicity, with humility and with frankness, the demons will flee, shouting as before Jesus: “Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” (Mt 8,29 ). We should not even cure the diseases which normally are cured with the aspirin and the syrup, there are many other diseases to be treated in the society: internal diseases, mental illness, addictions, unhappiness. What to do? We have only one way: the silent prayer. It happens often, in fact, to pass aside to people who are ill or disturbed, for whom the only possible prayer is the silent one. The others do not hear it, but the Lord hears and the people feel better. It is important also not to go with the wallet full of money. When Peter met the cripple at the beautiful gate of the temple, asking him for alms, says to him: “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, (rise and) walk” (Acts 3,6). If Peter would have had a few coins of gold or silver, he would have given it to the cripple and that man would have remained lame as before. Evangelizing is possible while going.