The writer of our passage
from the book of Proverbs tells the Lord that he wants neither poverty or
riches, that he only asks that the Lord provide him with the food that he needs
each day. Then, we hear about Jesus
sending out his disciples on their journey as missionaries to the world. He tells them travel lightly, to take not a
sack, or food, or money, or an extra tunic – they will find their needs
fulfilled as they go on their journey.
This message is so much
different from what our culture tells us – we need that new car or new piece of
technology or whatever is new on the market.
The cell phone we bought just a year or two ago is now out of day –
we've got to have the new one. It is so
easy for us to forget that the things of this world are just temporary compared
to what really matters. We need to
constantly ask ourselves: how are we striving toward those values & those
things in life that are part of God's eternal kingdom?
The spirit of today's
readings is reflected in a prayer written by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder
of the Jesuits, back in the 16th century. I have told you about this prayer before, but
it deserves repeating again: “Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my
memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You
have given all to me. To you, O Lord, I return it. All is yours; dispose of it
wholly according to your will. Give me your love and you grace, for this is
sufficient for me.”
May we rely on the Lord for our
needs, for our daily bread. May the
things of this world not keep us from God's heavenly kingdom.
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