The Gospel continues today with the theme of being sent. Today, Jesus sends the Twelve Apostles out to proclaim the Gospel and to heal people. We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are also sent by the Lord. However, many are uncomfortable with that idea. We are aware of what we don’t know, of our weaknesses in faith and our failures in living the faith. We hold back from sharing faith because we aren’t experts; we don’t volunteer to serve as catechists or small group leaders because we recognize what we don’t know and feel that we aren’t in a position to teach others.
Read the Gospel again. The commentary for the New American Bible observes that in his instructions to the Twelve, teaching was not one of the tasks. That won’t be passed on until after the Resurrection. They are called to share what they have received from Jesus at that time. The Twelve, particularly at this point in their lives and in the Scriptures, are not particularly impressive. They are rather ordinary. St. Augustine will call them “humbly born without honor, without learning”. St. Jerome is a bit more blunt in his description, calling them “peasants untaught and illiterate.” Jesus chose them not because of their background or status, but for what they were capable of with the help of His grace.
The Lord is calling each of us to share the good news with our world, our neighbors and our family and friends. He isn’t looking for us to be experts, just fellow pilgrims on the journey of faith.
Living in Love with God 
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