[Amos 7:12-15; Psalm 84; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:7-13]
Recently, one of my neighbours reached the point in life where she was unable to care for herself any longer, and she and her family decided that she would go into a care home. This left the family with what seemed like weeks of sorting through their late father and their mother’s possessions; as well as some things they themselves had left at their parents’ home. As humans we like to have things around us. Things which remind us of places, things which remind us of people and in some cases things which the world sees as valuable. When I heard our neighbour’s daughter explain how long and emotional the sorting out of these things had been for them, I resolved to try and sort through as much of my things as possible; hoping to save my children that that additional struggle when I won’t be around to do it. However, like many of my good intentions, I haven’t started yet.
Today, we hear Jesus send out his disciples in pairs and tells them they are to take nothing with them except a staff. The staff was probably to support them when they were weak or, more importantly, to show that they had the authority of their shepherd, Jesus. But they were to take nothing else. They are to rely on the people for their daily bread, to take no bags, to have no money. Jesus demands their absolute trust in God and wants his disciples to be free from any form of attachment to possessions.[1] As His disciples in 2024, how do we fare against this? Would we contemplate going to another town without packing a bag with things which we might need? These days, that might consist of our mobile phone to pay for things, hand sanitiser and maybe still a face mask, as well as some other ‘crucial’ items.
When we think about the absolute trust the disciples had in Jesus and the results they had in sharing the Good News; casting out devils anointing the sick and curing them, maybe it calls us to question how much we actually trust in God.
In the first reading today, we have the prophet, Amos; who was a simple shepherd and who also looked after sycamore trees; being rejected by the priest of Bethel. Bethel was part of the northern lands and Amos was from the south. The priest wanted Amos to return south, but he defiantly told the priest that God had sent him with a message; he told him to leave his sheep and his sycamores to go and share His message with the northern tribes, the people of Israel. Amos showed his trust in God and obeyed. Amos was a simple man, he was uneducated and his occupation showed that he was poor and yet here he is in front of the priests speaking to them about God.
There is a remarkable encounter Amos had with God earlier in this chapter. God gave Amos a vision that He would destroy Israel’s crops. Amos realising the catastrophe this could cause pleaded with God to relent. God listened to Amos’ prayer and relented. “For us this shows that prayer can be effective, our prayers can never change God’s character, but we can change God’s plans. Ours is not an impersonal God who sets things in stone, but a God who listens to us, a God who is willing to be persuaded”.[2]
Today is Sea Sunday. As an island nation we have a long history and reliance on the sea. Whether it is the fish we eat or the food and clothing which we import, all of us rely on the men and women who work on the sea; and are often hidden from our view; just getting on with what they do to make sure that we can have the things we need. Stella Maris have published a short reflection on the Gospel which I have shared below.
“In today’s Gospel we hear that Jesus sent out the disciples in pairs, but they were to take almost nothing with them – so they had to rely on the providence of God on their travels – and the generosity of the people they would stay with on the journey. Those people would be strangers to them – but the disciples were reliant on those strangers’ hospitality. This requires faith.
The teaching that God’s love is present in welcoming strangers and neighbours is a strong belief of many cultures. The divine lives in each of us, and when we welcome each other, we welcome God, and Jesus, the Son of God.
According to Jesus’ instructions, if people didn’t welcome or listen to the disciples, they were to walk away, shaking the dust from under their feet. This gesture represents both cleansing and Jesus’ displeasure at those who have rejected these strangers (his disciples) – we would surely not want that for ourselves.
When seafarers are in foreign ports, they often rely on the strangers who visit them to support them – to take them to the shops, to give them internet access, to take them to a Church for Mass or confession. Often, they don’t even speak the local language, making things even harder.
Sea Sunday is the day our parishes pray for seafarers and fishers and support Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea) – the Catholic charity that provides that welcome for seafarers in ports in this country and around the world. The chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris listen to seafarers’ stories, help to provide what they need, and answer Jesus’s call to give hospitality to the stranger.”[3]
This weekend we are all given the opportunity to support Stella Maris with donations and with our prayers. The people who work at sea trust in God’s providence, our donations can help them with practical things and our prayers can be like the prophet Amos’ prayers and help protect them.
Further Reading
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
CCC 1506-1509: disciples share in Christ’s healing mission
CCC 737-741: Church called to proclaim and bear witness
CCC 849-856: origin and scope of the Church’s mission
CCC 1122, 1533: mission-mindedness
CCC 693, 698, 706, 1107, 1296: the Holy Spirit as God’s guarantee and seal
CCC 492: Mary as a unique example of being chosen before the foundation of the world
Sea Sunday Message 2024 – Stella Maris
Please keep in your prayers this week
- The sick and housebound, those who are dying and those who are grieving.
- Father Jean-Patrice that he makes a full recovery.
- Fr Tom Hiney and Fr Ambrose Chou on their ordination to the Priesthood for our Diocese this weekend, that they may be good and holy priests.
- Stephen Patterson and Zacharius Parambi as they prepare for ordination to the Permanent Diaconate on the 27th of July.
- All seafarers and those who support them and their families often left at home without their loved ones for months at a time.
- The families who complete the Baptism Preparation Course at St Bede’s this weekend
Deacon Tony 13th July 2024
[1] Oseagwina Jerome Ituah OCD, Pastoral Review Vol 20 Issue 3 [The Tablet Publishing Company, Twickenham, 2024] 77-8.
[2] David Pawson, Unlocking the Bible, [Harper Collins Publishing, London, 2003]480.