“Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out
two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. . . .
He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
but a walking stick—
no food, no sack, no money in their belts. 
They were, however, to wear sandals
but not a second tunic. 
He said to them,
‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave. 
Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you,
leave there and shake the dust off your feet
in testimony against them.’
So they went off and preached repentance. 
The Twelve drove out many demons,
and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” Mark 6: 7-13

This Gospel emphasizes that the kingdom of God, a peaceful, just and merciful world, doesn’t come into existence by us just sitting back and hoping that God will make it happen. “Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth” is not a “Let it be” or “I’m ok; you’re ok” matter. In this Gospel Christ is saying that God isn’t going to do all the work – forcing this kingdom upon us. We have to be co-creators, God’s partners in this endeavor. The capabilities are already within us. Now, by accepting God’s ever available grace, we have to do something (repent, cast out demons and heal the sick) to make God’s kingdom come alive.

Be observant. Take in the way nature works, the way your body works. Things were created in such a way that we can influence the way things grow and change. God isn’t forcing everything upon us. We aren’t people being forced into everything. A lot develops through our co-direction with God – like a father-child endeavor.

If we want, we can look for God, choose God and choose to work with God in developing our inner God-given capabilities that will heal ourselves and others, that will drive out the demons that are directing our attentiveness away from the blessings. What Jesus is asking us to do is come to know (learn about) the ways of God and see that working to establish God’s here-and-now world is more satisfying than living in a demon-plagued world.  Jesus teaches us and then, sends us forth to do just that.

The formula is simple:

• Repent the things about me that were not of God.
• Cooperate with God in driving out my demons.
• Let God anoint me with oil so that I may be healed of my self-inflicted illnesses and those forced upon me by the demonic forces that plague our society and that sicken us.

Then we are ready to answer Jesus’ call to go out and help others: preach repentance, drive out demons, anoint and cure the sicknesses that plague our world.

Sister Loretta