Recently, while picking up a few items in a local grocery store, I met a fellow parishioner who shared how blessed she felt by God in her life. I don’t often receive unsolicited information about one’s feelings, much less a positive affirmation of God’s presence. It was both refreshing and gave me joy to know that this person was willing to reach out in the way she did.
It immediately reminded me of this Sunday’s first reading from the Book of Amos and St. Mark’s Gospel, how God summons and sends us to share God’s message to His creation. Amos was called by God to tell Israelites who turned from God that they need to repent or face God’s wrath. The Apostles were told by Jesus to go among both believers and others to proclaim repentance, drive out demons and cure the sick.
Amos was threatened by the high priest to stop preaching and to return to his home land of Judah. The Apostles were told to represent Jesus two by two and with just the clothes on their back. God would be with both Amos and the Apostles as they followed God’s command.
Too often when we read or hear such stories we take a default position by thinking Amos and the Apostles were handpicked, so, of course, they can do these things. And, yet, so are we; both by birth and our Baptism. Though our story may not appear in the Bible, it does appear in the heart of God who created us out of love. That’s as good as any biblical reflection.
One of the reasons for which God created us is to help Him here on earth. With God in heaven, He needs those of us who are faithful to fight Satan while we are earthbound. Our Baptism conversion entitles us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as a prophet by proclaiming the Gospel message.
Though Amos was alone in his prophetic duty, God told him He would protect him. Jesus sent out the Apostles in pairs. He did this for two reasons: Going by twos carries with it the authority of official witnesses; and While on mission they had to trust in the absolute providence of God.
We view ourselves as disciples who hear, accept and carry out the teachings of Jesus in our lives. But we also are Apostles in that we evangelize the faith with which we are baptized. It is this latter aspect that gives us the imperative of following in Jesus’ footsteps by sharing our faith with others.
Let us take this week to look into our very being as to what might be holding us back from evangelizing our faith to both current believers and those who seek a closeness with the Lord. As St. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians: “…we are chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of His will, so that we might exist for the praise of His glory, we who first hoped in Christ.”
God has chosen us as a blessing. It is in this blessing that we need to answer “yes” to God’s call in our birth and Baptism. For this reason alone, let us step out in faith and trust that God will protect us with a promise of eternal salvation for what we do in His name.
Reading 1: Amos 7: 12-15
Reading 2: Ephesians 1: 3-14
Gospel: Mark 6: 7-13
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