Voluntary Poverty

"Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the laborer deserves his keep." (Matthew 10: 9 – 10)

Peter Maurin the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement lived these words of Jesus to the letter. In doing so, he proved that it is possible to live the principle of voluntary poverty. Not everyman is called to this level of commitment. We are all called to make God first in all lives. This implies complete detachment from all material things. When we trust God completely for all our provision, He never disappoints.

Powerful Providence

"I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives." (Genesis 45: 4-5)

Jesus is a type of Joseph. Anybody who has experienced persecution is a type of Joseph. The brothers of Joseph intended evil but God's providence prevailed in favor of Joseph. The enemies of Jesus who crucified Him intended a final solution for Him but God raised Jesus to life and His Church bears witness to that truth today.

Those who dealt with me at CAUN intended suffering and hardship for me, but God had other plans.

"Everything becomes bread to nourish me, soap to cleanse me, fire to purify me. Everything is a means of grace for my necessities. The very thing that I seek everywhere else seeks me incessantly and gives itself to me by the hand of all creatures." Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, Father Jean-Pierre Caussade, S.J.

Authority and Power

"He summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness." (Matthew 10:1)

What has become of this authority and power today? Unclean spirits and all type of evil spirits are still with us. All kinds of disease and illness abound everywhere. In God's mysterious providence, He wills that other means be used today to solve these problems.

Human Survival

"People came to Egypt from all over the world to get supplies from Joseph, for the famine had grown severe throughout the world." (Genesis 41: 57)

Migration seems to be God's plan for the world. Look at the animals. They have no boundaries. They move with the times and seasons.

Rich harvest but few laborers

"The harvest is rich but the laborers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers to his harvest." (Matthew 9: 38)

Today the mission field is vast and varied. One good development after the Second Vatican Council is the mobilization of the laity for mission work. Without this development and with the shortage of priests, the Church may not be able to fulfill the great commission. Every ministry in the Church is directly or indirectly mission oriented. The great mission is to take the good news to every person. Few are called to be directly involved in evangelization. All are called to build the kingdom of God here and now.

What can we do to support the missions? The missions need our time, talent and treasure but the best gift is prayer as Jesus said in Matthew 9: 38.

The Ministry of Jesus

"Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness." (Matthew 9: 35)

The ministry of Jesus: teaching, healing and feeding.

What is my ministry?

 

 

Wrestling with God

"I will not let you go unless you bless me." (Genesis 32: 27)

Jacob wrestled with God until God blessed him.

Jesus teaching on prayer speaks of perseverance as wrestling with God until He answers. I am today wrestling with God on a number of issues, some long term and others day to day concerns.