THE SUCCESS OF THE MISSION

Am 7: 12-15; Aph 1: 3-14; Mk 6: 7-13

     The prophet Amos was chosen by God to prophesy in the difficult reality of the people of Israel (north Kingdom): the social inequality, the injustice against the poor people and the use of the religion according to the personal interests of the king. Besides the temple of Jerusalem (south Kingdom) existed also the temple of Bethel, in time of the king Jeroboam II. When Amos started his mission in that place, he met the priest of Bethel’s temple, Amaziah, who made opposition against his prophecy. Amaziah is the kind of person who is paid to maintain the structure of the temple and justify the unjust system of the king. Before the mistreatment received Amos revealed the reason and the motivation of his vocation. His mission of prophet doesn’t depend on payment, but it is a free divine initiative and it is invitation to gratuity.

     The second reading is a hymn of thanksgiving to God who has blessed us in Christ since the world began. Because his love we are his sons and daughters. Through the mission of Jesus Christ we were freed from our sins in order we develop our vocation to holiness. This vocation makes part of a plan of wisdom and kindness of our God, who in Christ has chosen us to be his own people. The Spirit of God helps us to live faithfully our vocation and grant to us the fulfilment of his promises. According to second Vatican council the holiness is universal vocation. All of us are called to this vocation. And according to St John Calabria, we don’t need to do extraordinary things in order to be holy. We can reach the holiness through the ordinary things in our daily life. It is enough that our intentions to do anything may be holy.    

     After having been rejected in his hometown, Jesus continued his mission in the villages round there where he was most welcomed. He could perform his mission alone, but didn’t want. For that he called twelve apostles as collaborators. Before sending them in mission, he proposed to them an intense experience of life, taught them with the authority received from the Father, shared with them his sensitivity in relating to the reality of sorrow and suffering of the people; before them he acted with authority against evil forces which paralyse the people, preventing them to participate integrally in the society. Finally, he gave general instructions to them, especially about the necessity of simple lifestyle and sent them two by two.

    The initiative of the calling comes from Jesus. He didn’t search for powerful or influential people in the society. He chose simple people, workers and very sensible to the newness of God revealed by his Son. The contents of the instructions given by Jesus follow a direction totally different of the human mentality. In order to have success in their mission the apostles had to overcome some human tends which are very present in our life:  against the tend to act individually, we are called to act together and to help one another in community for the good of the community; against the tend to dominate, Jesus proposes to us his authority in order to serve the people; against the tend to have possessions, Jesus proposes the renunciation, the detachment; against the tend to impose, our announcement is a proposal, proposal of conversion, of liberation, of change of life. We must respect the freedom of the people.

     The mission shared by Jesus with his apostles is curried on actually for all of us, his new followers. It is fundamental the openness to the divine inspiration in order we have motivation to assume the simple lifestyle proposed by Jesus, with the same courage and conviction of Amos, even when find opposition against our initiatives. The expectation of Jesus is that the proposal of conversion which we announce to others may be expression of the transformation that we have experienced through the meeting with his mercy. May the gratuity and generosity be the constant characteristics of our mission so that through us may God grant abundant life to all.

Fr Ndega

THE GOSPEL DOESN’T HAVE BORDER

Acts 1, 1-11; Eph 4, 1-13; Mk 16, 15-20

     The feast of today clarifies to us the mystery of the presence of Jesus. Jesus didn’t leave the heaven when he came to us and didn’t abandon us when he was taken up to heaven. The Ascension of Jesus speaks about the new way of his presence among us, announcing new stage of his mission. It is the time of the Church, community of the disciples of Jesus. The central message about that it is very clear in the two texts of Luke: The Gospel and Acts of Apostles as continuity. In the Gospel he presents the actions of Jesus and in the Acts the actions of his disciples helped by his Holy Spirit, new way of presence of God among them.

      The apparitions of Jesus during some time motivated his disciples to recover the reason of the discipleship, overcoming fears and doubts about the reality of the resurrection. All these experiences were very new for them and Jesus understood that was necessary to be patient because their little faith. The process was long, but very effective, causing great transformation in the lives of the disciples: from fearful men to courageous witnesses. In his last words to them Jesus helped them to understand the connection between everything he deed and taught with the reality of the kingdom of God. The reality of the kingdom of God was revealed through the gestures of Jesus and continues through the actions of those who carry out his mission up to the ends of the earth. To wait being filled by the strength from above is to abandon themselves to the action of God as instruments of his salvation. This work doesn’t belong to men but comes from God. The Spirit was in the beginning of creation, in the beginning of the mission of Jesus and should conduct the mission of the community of his disciples.

       The first testimony of the community of the disciples of Jesus is the unity which was guaranteed by the Spirit of Jesus. Each one is called to do the best of himself in order to preserve this unity as reason of identity. In the community all have received gifts from God in order to be gift to one another, joining forces to contribute to up build of the same body, which is holy and living because is the same Spirit who acts in it. Like this the mystery of the presence of Jesus is revealed, since we cannot separate the body from the head.  

      Jesus is the unique with authority given directly from the Father to reveal his plan of salvation. He shared this authority with his disciples in order to serve the people, guaranteeing abundant life to all. The criterion to experience this abundant life is the faith, which comes to us through the reality of the baptism. The disciples were sent as messengers of good news to all humanity because the gospel doesn’t have border. Jesus had promised to them to accompany their journey until the end. Although his physical presence is not more possible, his Spirit is guaranteed to motivate them in their mission. The presence constant of the Spirit of Jesus in the journey of his apostles and in the life of all who believe in him has made effective their words through signs and marvellous deeds.   

        The angels said to the first disciples and repeat to us today, “why are you looking up to heaven”. What does it mean? Sure, as Christians, we need to turn our look at Jesus, our model and head in order to continue his work with faithfulness, but we cannot stay stopped looking up to heaven. This situation might be sign of accommodation or paralysis. The Lord wants us watchful and actives. Blessed are those servants who will be serving when their Lord returns.  The Christian life is contemplation and action, faith and deeds. The signs of the active presence of Jesus are the works of those who believe in him and follow his footsteps. May the action of the Holy Spirit make our experience of Jesus effective in our daily life, showing concrete signs of our commitment with him and his mission. 

Fr Ndega