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First Reading: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
When the time of David's death drew near,
he gave these instructions to his son Solomon:
"I am going the way of all flesh.
Take courage and be a man.
Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways
and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees
as they are written in the law of Moses,
that you may succeed in whatever you do,
wherever you turn, and the Lord may fulfill
the promise he made on my behalf when he said,
'If your sons so conduct themselves
that they remain faithful to me with their whole heart
and with their whole soul,
you shall always have someone of your line
on the throne of Israel.'"
David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David.
The length of David's reign over Israel was forty years:
he reigned seven years in Hebron
and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
Responsorial Psalm: 1 Chronicles 29:10, 11ab, 11d-12a, 12bcd
R./ Lord, you are exalted over all.
"Blessed may you be, O Lord,
God of Israel our father,
from eternity to eternity."
R./ Lord, you are exalted over all.
"Yours, O Lord, are grandeur and power,
majesty, splendor, and glory."
R./ Lord, you are exalted over all.
"Lord, you are exalted over all.
Yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty;
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you."
R./ Lord, you are exalted over all.
"In your hand are power and might;
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all."
R./ Lord, you are exalted over all.
Gospel Introduction
Jesus wants his disciples to be without security and power, so as to be free to go to people in their own life situation and to be free to preach and witness to the Gospel without ambiguity. Would that, the Church today could give such an unambiguous witness.
Gospel Reading: Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two
and gave them authority over unclean spirits.
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick
–no food, no sack, no money in their belts.
They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic.
He said to them,
"Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there.
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them."
So they went off and preached repentance.
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
The Lord is my security
In their first mission journey, the apostles moved out in pairs to preach and heal. That’s the mission we all share as disciples of Jesus. Imagine if each of us saw ourselves as commissioned by Jesus to bring peace and healing to the world!
The Word of God calls us to practice one single virtue: trust in the one who has called you, because he has placed tremendous trust in you. It is the trust that Jesus has in you and me that made him choose us for his mission. Let us not fail his trust.
Have you ever felt insecure at home because you thought your parents did not love you or your spouse did not value you? Have you ever felt rejected at work, at church, or in your community by those in authority? According to the Gospel, we should keep our money bags and personal kits, which give us a false sense of security, out of sight. Today, our securities can be people’s appreciation, our social status, or our positions.
Jesus promises to equip us with all the necessary powers to heal and to fight against the forces of evil, as well as to preach the Word of God when we choose not to place our faith in our worldly securities.
There will be people who reject you at home, in the Church, in your workplace, or wherever you may be. Do not be disheartened. The Message version of the Bible gives the bestexpression as to how to respond to such rejections: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”
When we are out there, the Lord guarantees his constant accompaniment and that’s all the security we need!
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