God Gives Power and Strength to Those Who Rely on Him
He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.” Luke 9:3
In the gospel reading today Jesus sends his twelve apostles on a mission. In doing so, He gave the twelve a share in his own power to heal and cure. Yet, he also sent them out in weakness, telling them to take very little for the journey, no walking stick or sack or food or money or spare tunic. Jesus wanted his power to be revealed in human weakness and vulnerability.
It is often the case that the Lord works most powerfully through our experiences of weakness and frailty. Many of us feel weak and frail in these days when the presence of the Covid virus has become more pronounced. Just as Jesus asks his disciples in the gospel reading to forego much of what most people rely on, we have all had to forego something during this renewed time of restrictions. Many people of faith have had to forego their physical presence at the Eucharist.
Yet, in this time of loss and weakness, the Lord continues to work powerfully within us and among us. A time like this can throw us back more fully on the Lord who is present to us in difficult times as well as in good times. The first reading declares that God is the shield of those who take refuge in him. When Jesus send out the twelve in such a vulnerable state, it was because he wanted them to rely on God as their shield, rather than over relying on themselves. These days, when we are experiencing our weakness and frailty in a more pronounced way, give us an opportunity to rely more fully on the Lord as our shield. As Saint Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians, the Lord’s power can be made perfect in weakness.
Blessings,
Deacon Jack
St Clare of Assisi
Houston, TX