In the early chapters of Mark, we saw Jesus
call the various apostles to join Him.
In last week’s Gospel reading there was a homecoming for Jesus. In this week, those He called He now sends
forth in a commission.
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them
out two by two
and gave them
authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to
take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no
money in their belts.
They were, however, to
wear sandals
but not a second
tunic.
He said to them,
“Wherever you enter a
house, stay there until you leave.
Whatever place does
not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake
the dust off your feet
in testimony against
them.”
So they went off and
preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out
many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and
cured them.
~Mk 6:7-13
That Jesus sends them
with a staff is an indication that the apostles are here bishops, or at least
proto-bishops since the Church has not been formed yet. In fact, apostle actually means, “one sent
out on a mission.” The corresponding
passage in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 10-1-12) Jesus commissions seventy, but here in
Mark it’s the Biblically significant number of twelve, corresponding to the
twelve tribes of Israel. Bishop Barron provides
this week’s informative homily.
But it’s not just bishops who are sent forth. If Jesus calls each of us to join His Body, then each of us is also sent forth.
Sunday Meditation: “Jesus summoned
the Twelve and began to send them out two by two”
The perfect John
Michael Talbot song for this week, “Send Us Out.”
To proclaim Your Kingdom and to overcome and heal the world!
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