First Reading - Proverbs 30:5-9
Gospel - Luke 9:1-6
We often think that to do something important in life, we need to have more: more money, more security, more possessions, more recognition or more control. But today's readings invite us to consider a different way of living: trusting God rather than depending entirely on what we possess.
The first reading from Proverbs gives us a beautiful prayer: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me.” The author recognizes that both abundance and extreme poverty can become a temptation. Too much can make us forget God, while too little can lead us to despair.
At the heart of the prayer is a desire for dependence on God. The important thing is not how much we have, but whether we remember that everything we have is ultimately a gift.
This message becomes very concrete in today's Gospel. Jesus sends the Twelve out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal. He tells them to take nothing for their journey: no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and not even an extra tunic.
Why does Jesus send them with so little?
He wants them to learn that the mission does not depend primarily on their possessions or their personal resources. They are sent with the authority and presence of Jesus. Their strength is not what they carry with them, but the One who sends them.
This is a challenge for us because we often want security before we begin something. We say, “When I have enough time, enough money, enough knowledge, enough confidence, then I will serve.” But Jesus teaches his disciples to go with trust.
The disciples also had to learn to receive. Jesus tells them to stay in the house where they are welcomed. Mission is therefore not only about giving; it is also about accepting the hospitality and generosity of others.
And there is another important lesson: Jesus tells them to move on when they are not welcomed. They are not sent to force people to accept the Gospel. They proclaim, witness and move forward, leaving the response to others.
We too are sent into the world with a mission. We may not have many resources, but each of us has something to offer: our time, our kindness, our faith, our skills, our prayer and our presence.
The question is not, “Do I have enough?” but rather, “Am I willing to offer what I have to God?”
The prayer from Proverbs and the mission in the Gospel come together in one message: learn to depend on God and use whatever you have for his mission.
Let us ask the Lord for a heart that is neither controlled by possessions nor discouraged by their absence. May we trust that God can work through what we offer, however small it may seem.
And when the Lord sends us, may we have the courage to go—not because we have everything we need, but because we trust the One who sends us.
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