Ordinary 15
Ordinary 15
by Lanie LeBlanc OP

The Scripture passages this Sunday remind us of the calling we have through our Baptism, any special calling we may also have, and why we can trust that God will be with us in our journey as we answer our call. In the first reading, Amos makes it clear that he was involved in other plans until the Lord called him to be a prophet. His prophesying was not for hire, but he did this work only because of God's calling. In the Gospel selection from Mark, the 12 Apostles who were sent by Jesus two by two also had a clear idea of their calling. The minimal amount of things they were instructed to take was an indication that they were to depend on God for their needs.

The Gospel account also mentions that there would be places and people who would not welcome these apostle-preachers. With prophets and preachers of yesteryear and today, being sent by God did not assure a stress-free life nor an easy time of the preaching. Success happens but so does disappointment. Family and friends as well as strangers are not always receptive. This is true whether one is living the Baptismal call or is a preacher by a special vocation, even those who heard their commissioning from Jesus Himself !

How to shake the dust off one's feet in such cases does require thought and prayer and, most of all, a deep trust in the Lord. Wanting the Lord's Message to be received well is a natural desire, whether one is focused entirely on the Message or a bit of the ego of the messenger is involved. Shaking the dust off one's feet must be done gracefully and with actions that are full of grace. This simply can not be done unless one believes that the Lord will take care of spreading the Message in spite of hostility as well as taking care of its many messengers.

In the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, we are told of the blessing we have in Christ. We are told that we have been blessed with "every spiritual blessing in the heavens". We are told that we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, and forgiven. The riches of his grace have been "lavished" upon us ! These wonders are all the reasons that tell us it is OK, much more than OK, to trust that the Lord will be present with us on our journey.

As we grow in wisdom and insight, we seem to understand more of "the mystery of his will", that plan God has for each of us. Nonetheless, when an obstacle appears, we may have to catch our breath before we realize this once again and are able to continue on the journey. Part of the job of those who are called to preach, and that is all of us in some way or form, is to preach "the glory of his grace". For me, that includes that the Lord supplies us with the graces we need out of love for us, no matter if the circumstances seem otherwise. His favor does indeed extend to us, an important concept that must be believed and preached until the end of time.

(Comments to Lanie at lanieleblanc@mindspring.com.)