In The Footsteps of Jesus

 Mark 6: 7-13

The Call of the Twelve

⁷ He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸ He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹ but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰ He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹ If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹² So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³ They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

After preaching and working miracles in the sight of the Apostles, Jesus then sent them out to do the same.  He made sure that they remained totally free of worry and concerns about food, lodging, or clothing, but commanded them to rely totally  on him  What an exciting ideal!  The Apostles carried it out with huge success and set the bar high for us, their followers.  Over the centuries the bar was lowered, and abuses crept in, but periodically there were reforms, such as the one inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, and the Church picked up its mission in pristine fashion again. The many ups and downs in the Church's history fill volumes, but again the call goes out to us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  

We celebrate Catholic Schools week to honor these institutions which attempt to instill the ideals of Jesus and his first disciples into the hearts and lives of our students. We present Jesus as the model teacher and encourage our students and teachers to embrace his mission, his values, his way of loving and inviting others into communion with him.  In this currently upside down world, may we renew our energy and commitment to spreading the Good News by our words, but more so, by our actions.

Bro. Rene