Wednesday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Sent with Nothing, Yet Lacking Nothing

In today’s Gospel passage from Luke 9:1-6, we hear how Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey—no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money.

This passage reminds us that the mission of every disciple is rooted not in worldly resources but in divine power and trust in God’s providence. Christ calls His disciples not to rely on themselves but on Him. He strips them of everything so they may go fortified only with the authority and grace that He freely gives.

The instruction to take nothing emphasizes detachment. St. Gregory the Great, one of the great Fathers of the Church, reflects on this. He says, ‘As long as we are tied down by the love of earthly things, we cannot rise to the things of heaven. The more lightly we travel through this life, the easier it is to reach our heavenly homeland.’

Jesus’ disciples are not merely preachers; they are also healers. Their message of the kingdom is inseparable from compassion and service. The proclamation of the Gospel must be accompanied by signs of love and concrete acts of healing—both physical and spiritual.

But also notice that Jesus warns them: if any place does not welcome them, they are to shake the dust from their feet. This is not a gesture of contempt but a sign of freedom. God’s messengers, even when rejected, do not carry resentment with them. They move on in peace, trusting that the Lord’s work will bear fruit according to His will.

Something to reflect on: where is God sending us? Are we clinging too much to what we think we need? Are we bearing witness to the kingdom not only with our words but with lives of healing and charity?

Let us ask the Lord for the courage to follow Him with simplicity, with trust, and with joy—relying not on human support, but on the power and grace of the One who sends us.