Homily: 4th Week of Ordinary Time - Thursday - Sent out two-by-two

In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives the disciples very specific instructions.  He then sends them out into the world where they are to preach repentance, heal the sick, and drive out demons.  But the instructions are more detailed.  Jesus tells them to go two by two.  Why two-by-two?

 I remember my first year in seminary.  Every seminarian is given an apostolate, sent out into the world to bring the good news: some seminarians went to hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, schools to teach.  My first year, I was sent, with another seminarian, two by two, to the Cuyahoga county jail.  We were to learn about and practice jail chaplaincy.  It would have been easy to get discouraged.  But having another seminarian along, we were able to challenge each other to do better, to encourage each other when things got scary, or strange, remind each other about the teaching of the Master, encourage each other to treat those whom we met with charity and patience, correct each other when we might be tempted to take the credit when something good or miraculous would happen, and pray for and with each other.

Jesus tells the disciples to preach repentance, heal the sick, and drive out demons.  It didn’t take many hours in the jail to realize that demons actually existed: demons named addiction, greed, violence, rape, cruelty, racism.  And there is a tremendous need of healing: many criminals have been victimized in some way, by their parents, by their peers, and they have such a desire to learn that they are forgiven by God for their sins, if they but turn to him. 

There is hunger and need for the Gospel out there, in your neighborhoods, in your extended families.  And it is not just the work of bishops, priests, and deacons.  The task of evangelization—preaching the Gospel, preaching the need to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel, is the task of the entire Church.  So it’s not IF the Lord is calling me, but HOW.  Great fulfillment is found when we discover precisely how the Lord is calling me to evangelize in the unique landscape of my life.

For, “true love” of Jesus impels us to share the Good News about Him for the glory of God and salvation of souls.