Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Am 7:12-15; Eph 1:13-14 or 1:3-10; Mk 6:7-13

07-12-2024Weekly ReflectionThe Faithful Disciple

GROW: Have you ever considered the task before you and thought, No way am I equipped for this?  There are certainly times when it seems God is calling us to more than we are prepared for. The prophet Amos never expected to be God’s mouthpiece. He was a simple shepherd and a “dresser of sycamores.” Yet, Amos listened when God chose him “from following the flock” and instructed him to speak to Israel, even if he may have thought the whole idea quite silly. “Do you really mean me?” we might imagine him saying. We see this theme of God calling those we might least expect to important missions on countless occasions throughout Scripture: Moses had a speech impediment; Rahab was a prostitute; David was a young boy; Ruth was a foreigner; Matthew was a despised tax collector; Paul persecuted the early Christians; and the list goes on. On every occasion, however, trusting in God and listening to his voice was enough for each of these individuals to fulfill the role they were called to, even if they considered themselves the most unlikely candidate for the cause.

GO: In this week’s Gospel reading from Mark, Jesus calls for the Twelve and sends them out on mission with specific instructions. The key here is that he gives them his authority. They are able to accomplish seemingly impossible things – “preaching repentance, driving out demons, curing the sick” – not through their own power, but through the authority they had in Christ and by being obedient to the precepts he gave them. This is a lesson for all of us – to heed the commands of Christ and rely on his authority, not on our own power. We can live the impossible only through him. Pay close attention to the words from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians when in doubt: “In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will, so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped in Christ.”

PRAY: Today’s Scripture makes it clear that it is through Christ in us that we can accomplish all things for his glory. We do not act on our own, but we give permission for God to act in us. I offer you a challenge this week in your prayer life: Instead of asking God to remove what appear to be impossible obstacles for you to face, try praying for the graces sufficient to fulfill your role in them.