July 2009

When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, he gave them this unusual instruction: “Don’t take anything with you.” Why did Jesus tell his disciples not to take anything with them, but to beg for everything? Would Jesus give this same instruction to modern disciples if he were living in present times? What would happen if he did? How would people react if such a disciple showed up asking for food and place to stay?

Some years ago, a young Jesuit priest, Richard Roos, wondered about these very questions. He decided to find the answers to them. He got permission from his superiors to spend the 40 days of Lent making an 8OO-mile walking pilgrimage from San Diego to San Francisco.

Father Roos walked through sunshine, rain, and high winds. He walked and walked, day after day, just as the early missionaries did. There was one difference, however. He identified himself only as a Christian on a Lenten pilgrimage.

What answers did he get to his questions? How did people react to him when he showed up? He writes:

I was never treated harshly or unkindly. The people who hosted me were of all denominations of Christianity and even no religion at all. All were fascinated by the concept of a pilgrimage.

He concluded his report with an unexpected observation. It relates directly to how he preached the Gospel. He writes: Generally, I found that my presence and our conversation gave or strengthened them in their hope in God and in the goodness of people.

He preached the Gospel on his pilgrimage by his faith and his example. It was this faith and this example that came through when he talked with people. In other words, he did not preach the Gospel by words. He preached by a more powerful way: by his presence, his faith, and his example.

Some years ago, a number of young Christians were attending an international summer camp. They came from many nations around the world. One project assigned them was to come up with effective ways to preach the Gospel in our modern world. After the young people talked about using television, radio, rock concerts, and shopping malls, an African girl said something that touched the heart of everyone. She said: When Christians in my country think a pagan village is ready for Christianity, they don’t send books or missionaries. They send a good Christian family. The example of the family converts the village.

And that brings us to an application of today’s Gospel to each and every one of us here. Jesus wants us to preach the Gospel today. He wants us to do it the way Father Richard did it, but with one exception. He does not want us to do it on a Lenten pilgrimage. He wants us to do it in our homes, in our work places, and in our communities. He wants us to do it the way the African girl suggested. He wants us to do it by living as prayerful people with a deep faith in God and in people. He wants us to do it by our presence and by our example, more than by our words. And if we do it in this manner, not only will we strengthen the faith of those around us, but we will also invite them to imitate our own faith and prayerfulness.

During today’s Reading from the Gospel of Mark, we heard how the Lord Jesus served God the Father in obedience and humility. Jesus came on earth to do His Father will and obeyed to the end. “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” He did not come as a King but as a humble servant in human flesh.

Jesus went to His hometown and taught in the synagogues. As we heard in today’s Gospel, few believed in Him because they personally knew Him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Because of their lack of faith, the grace of God could not manifest itself through Jesus. Very few were healed.

How often during His ministry did Jesus say, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me? But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

Surely, the people from the hometown of Jesus had heard of the great miracles He was performing throughout the country. Surely, it must have been obvious that the grace of God was at work through Him. If only they would have believed that God the Father was manifesting Himself through Jesus, would that not have been sufficient faith for numerous cures? But no, the unbelief of the people was limited to their worldly perception of the human nature of Jesus. Refusing to believe in the Son of God, the grace of God did not manifest itself upon them through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today, there are similar circumstances in our world. When in need of a healing through the anointing of the holy oils, many people search for a charismatic priest who is alleged to perform miracles. During this time, they have no faith in the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that is manifested through their own local priest who has the authority from Jesus to administer the Sacrament of the Sick in the Church.

People forgot that priest, who administers the Holy Sacraments of the Church, is the instrument of the Lord Jesus. While the priest is visible at the ceremony of Baptism, during the Consecration of the bread and wine or during the Sacrament of Confession, Jesus is also present, He being the One who is administering the Sacraments. Jesus is manifesting Himself through the priest during the Sacraments.

My brothers and sisters, as Jesus obeyed and served the Father in humility, the priests, and all of you are also called to obey and serve the Lord in humility. As the power of the Spirit of the Father was manifested through Jesus Christ, so it is in the Holy Church, be it through the priest who is administering the Sacraments, teachers who are teaching in a classroom children and youth and people who work for the parish. We should humbly believe in the grace of God the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit that is manifested through the sacraments, the priest, and people who come to the church to pray, sing, and work.

With this belief, spiritual knowledge, and understanding our faith will bring us to the realization that God is manifesting Himself all around us, in ways that we have never seen before.