“Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there. As for those who do not welcome you, when you leave their town shake the dust from your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and healing everywhere.” (Lk 9:1-6)
Lately, through the ordinariness of my daily living, I’ve come to realize that my ‘power and authority to heal’ comes not from my religious title as ‘Brother’ but from my spiritual identity as ‘God’s beloved’; not from what I do or say but from who I simply am as a person.
In the past, I would carry with me all my expectations and agendas of how I can change this person; all my fears and inadequacies of not being good enough; all my frustrations and irritations when people reject my ideas or are not open to hearing what I have to say.
Yet in this season of my life, I realize what it truly means to “take nothing for the journey” is to simply be my true self, and be present to others as my true self, with no need to please others, gain approval, change people according to my expectations etc. All I’m invited to BE is simply the gift that I AM, and through my interactions with various people, allow God’s purpose and healing be done through me the way He wants it.
I also realize that I need not necessarily preach on the pulpit, or celebrate Mass at the altar. For each time I have a meal or conversation with someone (whether it be over wonton mee or cruffins), I am already proclaiming the Word of God through my life, and celebrating Christ’s Eucharistic presence at the coffeeshop table whenever I bring Christ’s presence to the person through my words and actions. In this sense, Mass is not limited within Church, but ought to be continued into our daily lives where all of us have the power and authority to proclaim and heal through our ordinary lives.
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