Today’s readings are about being called. How often do we think about the fact that we are called?

In the first reading, we encounter Amos, who was called for a special purpose. Amos describes himself as a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores before the Lord instructed him to prophecy to the people of Israel. However, Amos was met with strong opposition from Amaziah, the priest of Bethel who tells Amos to flee from there and not prophesy against Israel. But Amos responds with the command God gave him – “Go prophecy to my people.” (v.15). Similarly, when we are met with strong opposition even from people of high standing, we must remind them and ourselves about God’s command to us.

In today’s Gospel proclamation, Jesus calls the 12 disciples and sends them, two by two, on a mission of preaching and healing. Jesus gave them a set of guidelines to use as they preached his message. They were asked to go in pairs, as partners can give each other strength, credibility and accountability.

Secondly, they were asked to take only a walking stick and nothing else. This might seem like an unrealistic expectation. Would not the disciples’ mission be more successful if they were well supplied for their journey? They were instructed to “stay there until you leave” (v10) concentrating on ministering to the people in front of them rather than worrying about tomorrow, or what happened the previous day. In other words, to live in the moment.

They were also asked to “shake the dust off your feet” (v11) as some will not accept the message about the kingdom of God. In Biblical times, shaking the dust off the feet was the cultural way of showing disdain. When people turn away from the Gospel, it is not our job to convince them. Our job is to present God’s truths and leave the rest to him.

The brief account at the end of the Gospel passage (v13) sums up the disciples’ success. As they embraced the total poverty that Jesus speaks of, the apostles were able to do mighty deeds through preaching and healing. Our complete trust in God’s providence does not mean we cannot plan to ensure there are enough resources for the preaching of the Gospel. It simply means that the success of our mission depends not on available resources but on the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER: Abba Father, help me to live out the calling you have placed in my life. Amen.