Apostles are sent to bring peace. Peace only finds a place in a home where people who are truly listening dwell. Who is worthy of peace? Who is worthy of the Gospel? The one who receives humbly whoever the Lord sends them. The attitude of a humble servant who is able to listen and learn from the messengers of God will earn him also the gift of peace. We don’t need to be overly worried or prepared ahead of time if we rely on God’s Providence. Prudence requires us to think ahead, but never so well and so far that God would only be getting in the way. Coming to rely fully on God’s Providence will increase within us the gift of sacred peace. The world cannot give this peace, because the world only produces an incomplete and superficial version. The peace of the world is the calm between storms; the peace of Christ is given in the midst of storms: His Providence will only be made more perfect by the storm.
Saint Benedict, abbot
Saint Jerome points out an important fact about today’s Gospel. Judas, one of the twelve, was also granted the power to work miracles in Jesus’ name. We don’t know if he actually performed any miracles, but it is quite probable that he did. He was probably just as involved in the ministry of healing and deliverance as the other eleven chosen and sent by Jesus. This serves to rectify an important misconception about miracle-workers: their ability to work miracles is neither the evidence of their moral rectitude nor the reason we should listen to what they have to say. If some have the gift of healing and others do not, it is not a way to measure holiness. Special gifts are not a reflection of a special love by God for an individual, or some kind of reward system. They are given by God for the service and edification of the Church – if we use them well as good stewards we will be honored, if we squander them selfishly we will enter the kingdom of heaven and the talent will be taken away from us. But Judas’ greatest failure was not his betrayal of Jesus, it was his despair. St. Peter denied Jesus even after His teaching, “Whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my heavenly Father.” St. Peter did not lose hope and in his heart sought reconciliation and a greater humility to cooperate with God’s grace.
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The evangelist has a very important task, one for which Jesus entrusts them with special charisms. Healing and casting out demons are fairly impressive signs of supernatural power. The temptation for the disciple who has discovered these gifts at work in his or her own life is to begin to trust or rely on them more than on God. There may even be a temptation to enter the ministry for the sake of having power and authority. In the Old Testament reading we can see how God condemns the selection of unworthy ministers through the prophet Hosea. In the New Testament, Jesus reminds his disciples, “Not to rejoice that the evil spirits are subjected to you, but that your names are written in heaven.” He also indicates the necessity of praying for ministers to be called for the harvest. It is hard to see ministry or the priesthood as something more than a good career choice for people with a certain personality, and a bad career choice for people with another kind of personality. We are routinely tempted to judge our leaders, especially our religious leaders, based on their human qualities. Today’s readings remind us that a vocation is more than a disposition or a set of talents. Someone may have all the right qualities, but is not being called by God for the task of ministry. The one who has a vocation to ministry, the priesthood, consecrated life, etc. knows when they stand before God in their conscience and in their heart the mission they have received. A vocational calling is something God utters within an intimately personal bond formed with His creature. Someone who imagines they are called because the circumstances seem to indicate it, but have no clue who they are before God requires more discernment. Someone who imagines they do not have a vocation because the circumstances seem too difficult will have no true clarity until they begin to know who they are before God. Every true vocation is a gift of God in answer to the sincere prayer of the faithful.