First reading 1 Kings 2:1-4,10-12
David’s dying exhortation to Solomon
As David’s life drew to its close he laid this charge on his son Solomon, ‘I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man. Observe the injunctions of the Lord your God, following his ways and keeping his laws, his commandments, his customs and his decrees, as it stands written in the Law of Moses, that so you may be successful in all you do and undertake, so that the Lord may fulfil the promise he made me, “If your sons are careful how they behave, and walk loyally before me with all their heart and soul, you shall never lack for a man on the throne of Israel.”’
So David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the Citadel of David. David’s reign over Israel lasted forty years: he reigned in Hebron for seven years, and in Jerusalem for thirty-three.
Solomon was seated upon the throne of David, and his sovereignty was securely established.
Responsorial Psalm 1 Chronicles 29:10-1
You, Lord, are the ruler of all.
May you be blessed, O Lord,
the God of Israel, our father,
for ever, for ages unending!
Yours, Lord, are greatness and power,
and splendour, triumph, and glory.
All is yours, in heaven and on earth.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;
you are supreme above all.
Both honour and riches come from you.
You are the ruler of all,
from your hand come strength and power;
from your hand come greatness and might.
Gospel Mark 6:7-13
‘Take nothing with you’
Jesus made a tour round the villages, teaching. Then he summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
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Called for a mission
In the same way that Jesus called the Twelve to bring the Good News of the Kingdom, He also invites us to share our faith with those around us today. The gospel emphasises what the disciple should not bring along: No bread, no haversack, no money, no spare tunic. Why? At first, it seems that all those belongings are necessary. But Jesus points out that the apostle should not have his security in all the external possessions in order to accomplish his mission. He needs to be rooted in God’s love and have a passion for his Kingdom; then, he will be a true witness of the gospel and touch the people’s lives as Jesus did.
We, who have already encountered Christ, are sent to bring his love to the different environments where we are, and for that, we do not need to excel in rhetoric or to have many titles in Theology. Instead, the thing we truly need is the fire of Jesus’ love in our heart and the desire to show His face through our life.
Reflective question:
Having Jesus in my heart, how can I show his face to those around me?
Having Jesus in my heart, how can I show his face to those around me?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year B” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
