Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the twelve disciples and sends them out with words that challenge: “Take nothing for the journey.” He tells them to take no extra supplies and gives no guarantees. Because what he offers is his presence. He entrusts ordinary, uncertain disciples with his mission and asks them to rely not on what they carry, but on the God who goes with them.

We, too, are called like the twelve. We are called right where we are in life, in our everyday world: our families, workplaces, friendships, and communities. Jesus sends us into these ordinary spaces with the same invitation to trust.

This Gospel speaks of a deep, radical trust in God being with us, no matter the situation. To “take nothing” is to surrender. It is letting go of the illusion of control and choosing to walk lightly, open to grace, attentive to God’s quiet provision.

Today, the Church remembers St Agatha, a young woman of the third century, one of the seven virgin martyrs named in the Roman Canon. She reminds us that discipleship is not always safe or comfortable, but it is never empty. Her life tells us that God does not abandon us in times of trial.

Today’s Gospel invites us into a moment of quiet honesty. Where in my life am I being asked to trust more deeply? And how is God calling me to be a witness, not through extraordinary deeds, but through faithfulness, courage, and love in the ordinary places of my life?

Like the twelve. Like St Agatha. We are not sent alone. The same Christ who strengthened them walks with us now, giving us hope, confidence, and everything we need, one step at a time.

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