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| Nunraw compilation SCO-Joe McGrath |
Homily; Fr. Raymond ...
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Raymond
To: . . .
Sent: Sunday, 15 July 2012, 12:18
Subject: Sun 15 B
From: Raymond
To: . . .
Sent: Sunday, 15 July 2012, 12:18
Subject: Sun 15 B
Sun 15 B
In the Sacred Scriptures, both in the OT and in the NT we often find twin stories or dyptichs, as they are called. The second story is almost identical with the first but with some detail added or changed. This addition or change in detail underlines the meaning of the first story and emphasises it or it adds something to it. We have a typical example of this in today’s story about Jesus sending his Apostles out on their mission. This very same event, in almost identical words, occurs both at the beginning and the end of Jesus ministry: a typical “Dyptich”. In the first instance, the one in today’s Gospel; we hear about the original mission given to the Apostles; the beginning of the preaching of the Good News, Jesus sends them out with the proviso that they are to “take nothing for the journey, nothing except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. In the second instance, the one that occurred at the very end of Jesus life, at the last Supper in fact, he reminds them of how he sent them out at first and he asks them “did you lack for anything then?”, “No” they answered. “Well now” he tells them: “Go out to the whole world and preach the Good News but now, this time, be sure to take all you need: take purse and haversack and even a sword.
One of the lessons to be learned from this strange change of tactics is surely that the first story teaches us the reality of the Lord’s presence and power accompanying his apostles on their mission; and the second story gives us the assurance that this same presence and power will always be there in his church, accompanying her in her mission to preach the good news of salvation. But, he expects her, while still having faith and confidence in him, to take all human means and effort to accomplish her goal. She must trust in providence, yes, but mustn’t tempt providence. The church, and each one of us has to live by that same principle: we must learn to trust in providence, yes, but not to tempt providence, and when we feel that we are unable to cope by ourselves in whatever circumstance of life we find ourselves, we must remember those wonderful words God spoke to Paul when he felt that he was at the end of his tether: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness”.
