Gospel: Matthew 10: 7-15
In addition to being called to the ministry of healing, liberation, and proclamation of good news, the disciple is also called to a life of simplicity and poverty in imitation of the Lord Jesus. He sends out the disciples, instructing them to carry no possessions with them, to rely on the help of others as they go about healing others, liberating them from their demons, and announcing the jubilee of the Lord.
The life of simplicity and poverty is itself a more powerful sermon than any words can convey. To imitate the Lord Jesus in this respect is not just for an elite group of religious but for all who claim the mantle of disciple. It is to identify with the poor of this world, to live with and among the poor of this world, to be responsible stewards of the earth and God's gifts.
To live radical simplicity is also to announce that the Church is not for sale, not to be co-opted by money of the world that buys a message and ideology contrary to that of the Gospel. That neither we nor clergy and religious have lived this simplicity has proven true in every age and place. The few who do - like St. Benedict - stand as beacons of Christ's light, bearers of healing, liberation, and the good news of jubilee.
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