Presence

May my heart rejoice in Your love, O Lord.
Let me live each day anew.

Freedom

Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, Lord,
so that I may have inner freedom.
Let Your Spirit instil in my heart
a desire to know and love You more each day.

Consciousness

Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me during this time of prayer. Through You, may I come to know that I am a beloved child of God.

The Word of God

¹Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, ²and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. ³He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey: no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. ⁴Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. ⁵Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” ⁶So they departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

Inspiration

All healing is from God, the creator of everything. Through his divine power Jesus gives his apostles authority to preach the good news about the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. This same Jesus is at work in us today to carry on the message of the Kingdom, and to bring healing to a world still in great need of peace and healing. Let us pray to be open to his working through us with all whom we encounter.

By instructing his disciples not to carry spare tunics or money or food, he is telling them to focus not on themselves but rather on their mission to preach and to heal the sick. God will provide all that they need through the people they encounter, for ‘the labourer deserves to be paid’. In St Matthew, we read, ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be given you as well’ (6:33).

Conversation

The gift of speech is a wonderful gift.
May I use this gift with kindness.
May I be slow to utter harsh words,
hurtful words, and words spoken in anger.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen