Let’s update today’s Gospel a little. “And Jesus told them”: to not carry a cell phone or a computer, look at Facebook or Twitter, just bring the clothes you are wearing, not an extra set of expensive sneakers or a nice clean change of clothes. Jesus would say: go and remind people about me because many have forgotten and if they will not listen, don’t get discouraged just keep on telling my story. He would say: Don’t boast of anything you have or own, don’t see yourself as better than others, but boast only in me and in My Cross. Tell my people about a God who loves them like a mother and longs for them to come home and be with me. Tell them about my longing that they will feed at my Table by receiving My Body and Blood; the essential food of the life of faith. We are reminded today that the message we preach is not our own, but the message of Jesus. I am sure the 72 were afraid as they walked away and maybe even some of them got caught up in the “What ifs?” What if there is no food or it gets cold or a robber comes? What if they don’t like the message and attack us? The list of the what ifs is long and can sometimes trap us. But, if we remain focused on Jesus and him alone then we have nothing to fear. The Kingdom of heaven is not a place; but it is the presence of God in the world through you and me and our actions. We read in the first letter of St Peter: You are living stones..you and me are the Church entrusted with a mission. This mission is not ours or of our choosing, It belongs to Jesus and it is Jesus who commands us to preach and bear witness. The other thing we need to be reminded of is that if we are to be the 72 and go out to our world; then we need to come back to Jesus often so we can tell him what we have done and to be renewed. Prayer is about being in the presence of the Lord every day. Prayer is allowing the rhythm of our daily prayer to open up our ears to hear God. If I never pray and try to preach the Kingdom of God, then I will only preach my kingdom and not His. Prayer is fundamental to the Christian life. With out, we dry up an wither because how can we sustain ourselves without drinking from the stream of God’s love and mercy. So, my brothers and sisters, Jesus has picked you and me to go and tell the world about the Kingdom of Heaven. Don’t worry about what to say or bring. All we need to bring is the Jesus who sends us. We bring the Jesus we know and God will do the rest.
Project H2O
Imagine what your life would be like if you awoke tomorrow morning and found that there was no water coming into your home. What would you do? Probably you'd get a few gallons of bottled water, and feel a bit grungy and inconvenienced until the water came back on. Other than that, things would really be OK. But what if the water never came back on? And what if the stores ran out of bottled water? What if the nearest drainage ditch became the only place we could get any water at all? … Help The Thirsty
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