Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it,
and stay there until you leave.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words--
go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.”
REFLECTION
"Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey,
or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick."
This is a very difficult requirement that Jesus gave to His disciples. And I wonder, how would that apply to us?
I am truly ready to give everything up and follow Him. Can I leave my creature comforts and do what God needs me to do?
It is so much easier to simply write a check to my favorite charity, and have them deal with things.
A few years ago, Pope Francis told a group of priests that: "They should not go into the field to apply theories without considering the environment in which they will be working or the people entrusted to their care. “I wish you to be shepherds with 'the smell of the sheep'", the Pope said, repeating once again the analogy he used in his homily at the Chrism Mass on March 28, 2013.*
This also applies to us, lay people.
In our apostolate, we pray for priests. Sure, without prayer we cannot be saints. And we must pray for each other. And we also have to act. We need to bring Christ to others. And we do that.
One of the ways we do this, is with out PAPA for Life committee. Where we promote the protection of all life, especially the lives of the most vulnerable pre-born babies.
Another is PAPA Joe. Where we feed those who are starving. Currently we have sent most of this help to feed children and their families in Venezuela. As well as helped the Missionaries of Charity feed those in need during Christmas season.
There are people that don't feel or think our apostolate is for them: That we might be "too intense". And even myself, sometimes, I don't "feel" like doing the things I should: I don't want to wake up early for First Saturday Mass. I don't want to go pray in front of an abortion clinic on the other side of town. I don't want to spend time teaching the faith to my kids. I don't want to... get out of the couch...
And to tell the truth, most of the times it is someone else that takes me out of my comfort zone: my husband reminds me the importance of the First Saturday devotion. Our children are the ones that want to pray for the unborn. Other people call to ask me to help them in one way or another, etc. If any, sometimes, the hardest part is to choose between two good things.
I hope you, too, find a way to leave your comfort behind, and follow Jesus. Do not be afraid, even He tells us: "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Mt 11:30)
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