July 12, 2009: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ancient footwear made from the bark of trees and similar to the sandals worn around Jesus' time.

Jesus called to himself the twelve apostles, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. (Mark 6:7-9)

During the summer months you may be traveling or vacationing with your family. Getting ready to go is important; packing what you think you need is part of getting ready. Imagine leaving home for a trip and taking only the bare essentials. In today’s gospel Jesus is suggesting exactly that. Actually, he sent the apostles off with less than what we would consider essential. They were to travel with very little and rely totally on Jesus’ instructions in order to do their ministry.

Action:

Take a look in your closet and around your bedroom. Do you really need all the stuff you have? Living simply helps free us up for the important things in life. Today it also helps preserve our earth. The less we have the less we eventually need to get rid of. Think about your life and what you could easily do without. The next time you go shopping or ask your parents to buy something for you, consider whether you really need it. A disciple of Jesus should be a responsible steward of Earth.