2024/07/14 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
- Barb Bagnall, Out of Town Wedding Coordinator
Reading I: Amos 7:12-15; Reading II: Ephesians 1:3-14; Gospel Mk 6:7-13
As I pray with these readings, I keep going back to the words of St. Theresa of Avila:
“Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which He looks Compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good. Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours are hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body.”
We see in the first reading that Amos was taken away from shepherding his flock and sent by God to prophesy. He obviously was fearful and declared he was no prophet. How many times in my own life I can see where God has called me, and I felt anything but qualified. I was unhappy with my first job in teaching, and I found myself being asked by a neighbor to consider teaching a course to fill in for a professor who was terminally ill. I had never taught at the higher education level and said I didn’t think I could do it. They were in a bind so I finally said I will try. That launched a career teaching in Education depts. I decided when moving to New Orleans I would also study in theology. The Dean of Campus Ministry then asked if I would consider becoming a member of the campus ministry team. Once again, I said ‘no’ not knowing what that would entail. But, I decided to say, ‘yes’ and I look back to what changed my life in higher education: ministry! I realized God was with me each time calling me to something very different, but I found that as I looked back, I was not ‘praying about’ it. God was just there doing His bidding without me even noticing. I realized God does call us in so many ways to be His hands, His feet, etc. to bring our gifts forward to do good even when we think we are not prepared or able to do what is in front of us.
In the second reading Paul says that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and chosen us to be holy and without blemish before him. I’m not sure anyone supposes they are without blemish! And what about holy? I question this on a minute-by-minute basis each day. We are what we are now, but we have won the lottery of life. As God’s grace works ever so slowly in our lives His blessings are promised and sure. Our struggle with our sins and failures need not be desperate but hope-filled. Once again, He needs us so deeply to be His hands His feet, His love.
In the Gospel we are called from grateful to giving. It was time that the disciples needed to become ambassadors for Christ after spending time under His tutelage. We see Jesus calling His disciples forward after such a difficult time in His own native place. He needs them just as He needs each of us to go forth and be His hands His eyes, His love. He gives very specific instructions to go forth two by two, take nothing for the journey but a walking stick — no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were required to rely on hospitality and God. Travel during Jesus’ time was considered dangerous and suspicious. People of that time stayed in one place, many times from birth until death with neighbors and relatives providing everything they needed. Hospitality for strangers was highly valued. Although looked upon with suspicion guests were offered food, board and safety from others that looked upon them with distrust. They are to travel two by two to provide a degree of safety, companionship and credibility. Two was the number of witnesses necessary to establish the truth. Jesus entrusted them with His power and strength.
As we look at this Gospel it is evident that the Kingdom of God is all about simplicity of life and sharing with each other and the needy. Each of us is invited to spread the Good News in his or her unique way. I ask myself do I have love for those I meet each day – love in the sense that I travel lightly by weeding out judgment, exclusion and prejudice of any kind. I try – I don’t always succeed. I see times where I have been judgmental, not inclusive and prejudicial. I then will try again. It has always helped me to process my actions with someone, i.e. spiritual director, trusted friend. We so desperately need each other. People are healed by not feeling dismissed or unnoticed. We need to listen to each other. We need to listen in prayer to Jesus for how life-giving the little nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love are.
Hospitality is so vital in all cultures. I have found it difficult during this COVID time. I find myself not as open – not inviting others to my home as I used to do. I find Saint Clement really practicing hospitality in so many ways. An Indian writer, Tagore tells us that when people left his hut, he found ‘God’s footsteps on the floor’. The Divine lives in each of us and when we welcome each other we welcome God. Too often society and individuals have been choosy about who to welcome and not welcome to community. A call to the church today is to welcome ALL. We are called to welcome the stranger. This group had to let go of their securities as do we – again travel lightly – depend on the power and grace of God.
Then as now people judged the message of Christ by the life of the messengers more than by the words they spoke. Helder Carnara, saintly Brazilian bishop said, “Watch how you live. Your lives may be the only gospel your listeners will ever read”. Like those disciples, travel lightly and depend on hospitality and God. We are called forth also to spread the love and news of God in whatever way we can. God needs us and we need God.