Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

“The Twelve Sent Out”
by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851-60

Readings for Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time [1]
 
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible [2]
 
Readings and Commentary:[3]
 
Reading 1: Proverbs 30:5-9
 
Every word of God is tested;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you will be exposed as a deceiver.
 
Two things I ask of you,
deny them not to me before I die:
Put falsehood and lying far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches;
provide me only with the food I need;
Lest, being full, I deny you,
saying, “Who is the Lord?”
Or, being in want, I steal,
and profane the name of my God.
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Commentary on Prv 30:5-9
 
This passage from Proverbs, part of the oracle of Agur (likely the name of the oracle rather than a person), focuses on humility and trust. Trust in God makes the lived word of God protection from pride and sin. This is followed with an exhortation to never forget that it is through God’s bounty all things come. The oracle prays that great wealth and abundance never come if the recipient forgets God, and instead worships the bounty given.
 
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163
 
R. (105) Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
Remove from me the way of falsehood,
and favor me with your law.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
The law of your mouth is to me more precious
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
Your word, O Lord, endures forever;
it is firm as the heavens.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
From every evil way I withhold my feet,
that I may keep your words.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
Through your precepts I gain discernment;
therefore I hate every false way.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
 
Falsehood I hate and abhor;
your law I love.
R. Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet.
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Commentary on Ps 119:29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163
 
Psalm 119, in this section, is an individual lament asking for God’s support in times of difficulty. From this, the longest of the psalms, the strophes ask for the psalmist to be strengthened in the truth and given wisdom that comes from the law.
 
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Gospel: 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.
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Commentary on Lk 9:1-6
 
St. Luke’s description of the mission of the Twelve is also recounted (with some differences) in Mark 6:7-13 and Matthew 10:1-9,11,14. Because of these differences (e.g. Matthew and Luke forbid a staff and sandals, but Mark allows them), and assuming that St. Mark’s Gospel was closest to Jesus' words, we can assume that Matthew and Luke were spiritualizing Jesus' instructions to a degree. Similarly: “because of the necessity of shaking off foreign dust before entering the Jerusalem temple and the prohibition against bringing profane money into the sacred precincts (John 2:14), the passage can be interpreted metaphorically: in all your undertakings, act as though you are standing in God’s presence; enter the home of each Christian as you would the temple of God.” [4]
 
“Armed with the power and authority that Jesus himself has been displaying in the previous episodes, the Twelve are now sent out to continue the work that Jesus has been performing throughout his Galilean ministry:” [5] They are to rely completely on the Lord, being part of the world but set apart from it.
 
CCC: Lk 9:2 551
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Reflection:
 
We ask this question: if nothing we own has a hold on us, how much better disciples would we be? Today, secular society places such emphasis on having “things” that we see people from whom those things are taken completely broken mentally, even to the point of taking their own lives. Today we see Jesus sending his disciples into the world, and we note he tells them not to take anything with them.
 
We considered for a moment why he did this. If they have nothing; if they are completely dependent upon the goodwill of others for their sustenance, they will certainly be humble (we at this point marvel at the Lord’s humility – him to whom all things from all time belong yet so humble). Nothing will hold them back from doing the right things. No robber can threaten them; no angry mob could take anything from them. The treasure they carry is in their hearts and souls.
 
We hear an echo of the need for humility in the reading from Proverbs. The oracle says: “give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need; Lest, being full, I deny you.” Great wealth, great bounty, distracts the faithful if it is allowed to do so. Consider for the moment what many of us consider a basic necessity, our house or home. With home ownership comes responsibility. One must dedicate time to upkeep, to maintain the house, the roof, the paint, the utilities, and appliances within the house. All these things require time, effort, and money that must be made in some occupation.
 
There is a good reason religious brothers and sisters take vows of poverty. They pray that nothing may tempt or distract them from service to God. For most of us, poverty is an accident if it occurs, and we are somewhat encumbered by “things.” Our challenge is to maintain an attitude where the things we need to contribute to our own upkeep do not distract us to the point where we become arrogant or consumed by the material world. Our prayer today is that we might focus our efforts on God’s glory and not simply the things of the world.
 
Pax

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[1] The picture used today is “The Twelve Sent Out” by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1851-60.
[2] S.S. Commemoratio
[3] The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[4] See Jerome Biblical Commentary, Prentice Hall, Inc., © 1968, 44:84 p.140.
[5] See NAB footnote on Luke 9:1-6.