Preach the Gospel Always, But . . .	07/13/03	Click to Print
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time	Father Tim Lemlin
A young friar once confided to St. Francis of Assisi that he didn't know how to preach the gospel. Francis smiled at the young man and told him that he would instruct him the next morning. Early the next day he took the young man with him on his daily rounds of Assisi, nursing the sick, feeding the hungry, praying with the dying, and laughing with workers and mothers with their children. When the day ended, the young friar was frustrated and said to Francis, "You taught me nothing about preaching the gospel." Francis replied, "Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words." St. Francis shows the young friar the dead ends that we often venture down looking for ways to make ourselves feel important. Jesus in our gospel reading today is doing something similar. The disciples of Jesus follow him because he offers them an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They become caught up in the feeling of being part of something important. Fame and glory can't be far away. So when Jesus sends the Twelve out on their first journey, he removes all of the status symbols. They are to "take nothing for the journey - no food, no sack, no money in their belts." They are "wherever [they] enter a house, [to] stay there until [they] leave." In other words, they are to be completely dependent upon others. Jesus also tells them that they have power. Isn't this contradictory? They have power but none of the symbols of power (money, prestige, position). During the time in which the prophet Amos lives it is customary for each royal court to have prophets who advise the king or queen. They read the signs and determine the course of action. Being employees of the state whose livelihood is dependent upon the state continuing, their prophetic words are influenced by this dependency. They are people who have attained positions of prestige and wealth. Amos is a nobody. He has no status, no money, no prestige. He simply hears God speaking and conveys the message. He isn't worried about his job. His allegiance isn't to the king or the state. His allegiance is to God. Jesus removes from his disciples all of their allegiances. They must trust in God to support them, to guide them, to sustain them. But still, they find ways to make themselves the center of their universe. Notice the next time you sit for dinner, at home or in a restaurant, the urge you have to re-arrange things. You might move the glass or the utensils. Once you do, you have made where you are sitting into your space and you feel content. The gospel is proclaimed best when we are not in the way.