Today’s readings invite us to reflect on the theme of mission and the call to be messengers of God’s love and truth. Each of us, baptized into Christ, is called to be a missionary, to bring the Good News to the world. 

The Call of Amos:
In our first reading, we encounter the prophet Amos, a humble shepherd and a dresser of sycamore trees, who is called by God to prophesy to the people of Israel. Amos didn’t come from a line of prophets, nor did he seek out this role. Yet, God chose him for this crucial task. This reminds us of that God often calls the most unexpected people to fulfill His purposes. It’s not our credentials or background that matter but our willingness to respond to God’s call. 

And when we look into the Gospel, we witness a pivotal moment in Jesus’ ministry as He sends out the twelve apostles two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits and instructing them on how to conduct their mission. This passage is rich with lessons for us as modern disciples of Christ, guiding us on how to live out our faith and share the Good News.

Simplicity and Trust
Firstly, Jesus instructs the apostles to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts. This radical call to simplicity and trust in God’s providence challenges us to reflect on our own lives. In a world that often equates success with accumulation and security, Jesus reminds us that true discipleship relies on dependence on God rather than material possessions. (Life story of St. Mother Theresa. The suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work). We are called to travel light, both physically and spiritually, freeing ourselves from the burdens that hinder our ability to serve God and others wholeheartedly.

Community and Collaboration
Jesus sends the apostles out in pairs, emphasizing the importance of community and collaboration in our mission. The journey of faith is not meant to be undertaken in isolation. We are called to support and uplift one another, sharing our gifts and strengths for the common good. By working together, we can accomplish far more than we ever could alone. In our own lives, we should seek out and cultivate relationships that foster mutual growth in faith and service.

We have a liberating mission:
Although many people don’t believe in real demonic possession at our age, there are many demons which can control the lives of people around us, making them helpless slaves. For example, there are the demons of nicotine, alcohol, gambling, pornography and immoral life, materialism and consumerism or of any other activity which somehow can take control of people’s lives and become an addiction over which they have no control. All of these, or any one of them, can turn people into slaves.  We need the help of Jesus to liberate us and others from these things.  Jesus is inviting us today to cooperate with him.  He wants us to be his instruments of liberation, to help others recover their freedom. We are meant to help people to cure their sicknesses – While we might not possess the miraculous healing powers of the apostles, we can still be instruments of God’s healing in the world. This could mean offering a listening ear to someone in distress, providing comfort to those grieving, or supporting those struggling with illness. Through acts of compassion and kindness, we bring God’s healing touch to those around us.

Witnessing to the Kingdom
Ultimately, the apostles’ mission is to proclaim that people should repent and believe in the Good News. Our lives, too, are meant to be a witness to the Kingdom of God. Through our words and actions, we are called to testify to the transformative power of God’s love and grace. This requires a personal commitment to ongoing conversion, allowing God to continually renew and reshape us.

We are the Amos of today. We are the Twelve of today and the Saint Paul of today. The Lord calls us to prophesy with courage, love, hope and faith. Like the Amos and the Twelve he sends us to bear witness to him in different situations and circumstances of or lives’ journeys, as priests, pastors, religious, deacons, lay men and women in families, offices and factories. Though we are aware of the inevitable social and cultural challenges, political rejections, economic temptations, dust, dirt, stress, long journeys, long flights, but abundant spiritual benefits and redemptions await us when we endure the cost of witnessing to the Lord! 

God tells us that we do not have the right to walk away from our responsibilities to the Truth. We should have the openness to our prophetic mission and to stand for the truth of the Lord, whether it is popular or not, whether it is convenient or not. We have all received the mandate of Jesus to go out and proclaim his Word. Today we pray for the courage and willingness to proclaim the truth in our families, at our work and in our neighborhoods. Amen.