An effective plan

As I reflect on the ‘Commissioning of the 12 Apostles’ described in Mark’s Gospel (6:7-13), the first thing that is worth pointing out in this passage is that Jesus “summoned” the Twelve.  This means He brought them to Himself.  Sure, we can read this as simply meaning that He, in a sense, called a meeting with them.  But we should look deeper.  We should see in this summoning the fact that Jesus was not only calling a meeting, but rather, He was drawing them to His very person.  In this act of summoning, the Apostles were personally encountering Jesus, receiving His grace and power, and being changed themselves.



It reminds me of the Mass.  We are “summoned” to the House of the Lord to ‘have a meeting’; to listen to Holy Scripture and encounter Jesus in a very personal manner in the Eucharist.  In the old days—when the Mass was said in Latin—when the time came for Communion, we knelt on kneelers at a “communion rail” and received our Lord on the tongue as the priest said to each communicant, “Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam.”  Translated, this is “May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto life everlasting.”  Since the changes to the vernacular language in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, it is now more common to simply walk up the aisle to the priest and receive the Host in our hands as he says simply, “The Body of Christ”, to which we reply “Amen”.  I sometimes lament that these changes brought about a different perception of Who we are receiving in the Eucharist and why.  But what has not changed is the fact that this is when we receive His grace and power and our souls become changed.



After Jesus summoned the Twelve, He sent them out two by two.  We hear a similar directive from the priest (sometimes the deacon) at the end of every Mass.  It’s not just a statement that the Mass is over.  It’s a directive to go forth from the altar with the message of Christ for all those we encounter.  "The Mass is ended! Let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord and one another!"



This is also significant.  Jesus knows our human weakness.  He knows that alone we will most likely fail, but with the Christian support of another we are greatly strengthened.  This is because Jesus’ mission is not something we do ourselves, it’s communal as well.  We are each one piece in His mission.  However, to fulfill that mission, we need the love and support of others.  We need to go two by two into the battle.



So what about this authority that Jesus gave them?  It’s often not appreciated for what it is.  Jesus very much does want to give us authority over the evil one and his minions since they are far more powerful than us.  So, if we are to have a chance in the battle, we need Jesus’ authority.  This is not only some supernatural power to cast out demons; rather, it’s much more extensive.  So what is this authority and how do we exercise it?



It's the power of true Christian charity.  Charity, or love, overwhelms the evil one and renders him powerless in our lives.  Selflessness, sacrifice, humility, faith, truth, etc., are among the most powerful weapons in our battle.  The evil one doesn’t know what to do with these.  We don’t necessarily have to engage in some sort of dramatic spiritual warfare to do battle.  Simply love God and live that love in your daily life and you will, in a sense, be casting out demons left and right!  We will have the victory in our Christian living because God will take care of all the rest.  It’s His mission and He is the one summoning and sending us.  So don’t be afraid to follow His lead!



So as I think about this three step process that Jesus initiated with His Apostles, I believe that He desires the same with us:  1) He summons us, daily, to Himself; 2) He sends us forth to bring His love to others; 3) He gives us the authority and power we need to fulfill His will.  If we are open to this process, our Lord will use us abundantly.