Relying on God
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.’” (Luke 9:1-3)
“Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, ‘Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic.’” (Luke 9:1-3)
Jesus is sending his apostles to proclaim the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. Before doing that, Jesus gave them the power of the Holy Spirit to be able to do so. They, just like us, can do nothing without God. How can we proclaim the Kingdom of God if we do not receive the grace to do so through the Holy Sacraments? That is why it is important to receive them.
Jesus is also instructing them not to pack anything for the journey. Jesus is telling them that He will provide to the Apostles. That is a level of total trust in Jesus that I admit does not seem to be easy for me. We are expected to be prepared for almost everything. Natural disasters like hurricanes are a good example. This is not implying that we do not prepare. What it is highlighting is that the absolute detachment required of us leads to complete reliance on God. Jesus, I trust in You!
Do you think there are things in your life that are not allowing you to totally rely on God?
Dear Jesus, thank you for leading me in this journey called life. Please have patience with us as we continue to learn how to rely on you above all things. May the Holy Spirit teach us so that we also can build your Kingdom! We ask this in your powerful and holy name. Amen.
José Orlando (Landy) Colón was born and raised in Puerto Rico. His journey to faith started as a teenager after accepting Christ during a Juan XXIII weekend retreat. He has been a resident of the Tampa Bay area since November 2000. Landy is fully bilingual in English and Spanish. He is serving as Liturgy Committee chair and Eucharistic Minister at Resurrection Catholic Church in Riverview. He is also blessed to serve as chair of the Diocesan Hispanic Commission under the Intercultural Ministries of our diocese. His wife Judi and Landy completed the Lay Pastoral Ministry Institute program (dosp.org/lpmi) in June of 2023. They have two married daughters, and are the caregivers of Judi’s mother. Landy is a firm believer of second chances, that compassion and mercy are vital to evangelize, and that we should trust God under all circumstances.
