A Gospel Enquiry
Introduction
The Great Commissioning, which is recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-20, Luke 24:36-53), is celebrated whenever people gather for Mass. When I was a child, the priest declared, “Ite missa est” and the congregation responded with “Deo gratias.” For many years, I did not understand the significance of the dismissal. It was after Vatican II and we celebrated the Eucharist with English and I engaged in scripture studies that I came to appreciate the relationship between the Gospel that is the subject of this enquiry and my participation in the Eucharist.
The Gospel
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘As you go, proclaim that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. You received without charge, give without charge. Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep.
‘Whatever town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy and stay with him until you leave. As you enter his house, salute it, and if the house deserves it, let your peace descend upon it; if it does not, let your peace come back to you. And if anyone does not welcome you or listen to what you have to say, as you walk out of the house or town shake the dust from your feet. I tell you solemnly, on the day of Judgement it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom and Gomorrah as with that town.’ (Matthew 10:7-15)
The Enquiry
See
- Jesus gives instructions to his disciples. In keeping with how disciples were formed, he reminds them of what they experienced when they accompanied him on mission.
- Why does Jesus tell his disciples not to take anything with them? How are disciples meant to view the mission Jesus gives them?
- What are the possible consequences for the disciples of the mission given to them by Jesus?
Judge
In his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes:
In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. (Evangelii Gaudium, 120)
- What do you think about this statement from Pope Francis? How closely does it mirror Jesus’ directions to his disciples?
- The Gospel is quite specific about what the disciples will be doing. What do you see him doing in the world today?
- Imagine Jesus giving you and fellow believers instructions today about imitating him. What do you find challenging in his instructions?
Act
- Which change in the world does this Gospel prompt you to consider?
- What small action can you take that will contribute to bringing about this change?
- Who can you involve in your action and how, when and how often will you get them to participate in your action?
Author: Pat Branson
Image Source: Vocation of the Apostles, a fresco in the Sistine Chapel by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1481-82, Wikipedia, Public Domain.