St. Mary Church

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Posted by Amy Cerosaletti on 7/16/24

If you think about it, the Gospel passage we hear today is a rather one-sided narrative.  We never hear any dialogue between Jesus and the Apostles and their reactions to what Jesus says to them.  I’ll bet there was a lot more to that story!  Can you imagine the scene: 

Jesus, reclining at table, takes a piece of bread, dips it in some olive oil, and announces to the Apostles, “So… I am sending you out, in pairs by yourselves, to preach and minister to the surrounding villages, cast out unclean spirits, and heal people.”  (Dramatic pause while he takes a bite of the bread...)  The Apostles look at him and then nervously at each other.  No one says anything.  Then Jesus, while dipping his piece of bread again in the oil, knowing what they are thinking, says, “Oh yeah, and by the way, you are to take no money, no sack, no food.  You can wear sandals but only one tunic.”  I can imagine, upon hearing this, it's just too much, it's just too uncomfortable; they become anxious…. and agitated.  Peter ‒ the impetuous Peter ‒ blurts out what they are all thinking:  “Master, no food and no money?  One tunic?  How are we supposed to wash the one tunic?  We’ll be naked!  And how do we know who we are supposed to be going to see where you're sending us, let alone what we are to say to them?  How do we heal them?  How do we cast out unclean spirits?  We’ve seen you do it, but we've never practiced it in your presence, let alone done it on our own!  How do we know we’ll get it right, that it’ll work, that the unclean spirits will listen to us?"  Jesus looks at Peter and says, “Peter ‒ so many questions, so little faith.  Take a deep breath:  I’ve got your back, you have my ... Read More »