They went off and preached repentance

THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY (Mk 6,7-13)

Conversion is always to the Word that is announced. The prophets announced the conversion to the broken, forgotten and neglected covenant, transformed into a sterile cult. The Lord through his prophet denies every cult that is not a sign of the lived and continually renewed and updated covenant in its truth: “What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the Lord. I have had enough of whole-burnt rams and fat of fatlings; In the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and Sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear. Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; Though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool. If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land; But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the Lord has spoken!” (Is 1,11-20).

Instead, the conversion preached by Jesus and the Twelve is different. They must run through the land of the fathers inviting every man to convert to the kingdom of God that is near. The door to enter the coming kingdom is their Word. Their Word is that of Jesus. How are people certain that the Word announced by the Twelve is the door to enter the kingdom? But is the kingdom of God really near? Will it not be a deception on the part of people without conscience and without scruples? That their Word is true and that the kingdom is near, their works that are not the works of a man and not even of many men attest to it. They are works of God. Healing the sick, driving out unclean spirits, bringing peace to hearts, instilling true hope and convincing of the truth of the Word announced by them are not works of man, but of God. God is coming with the power of Word and works. Who wants, can be converted. There is no deception in the Word, because there is no deception in the works. The Word is of God, because the works are of God. The lifestyle of the Twelve also attests that everything is true. They are not going to people to ask for something, but to give everything to people. Gratuitousness is the sign of the kingdom, because God always gives everything and everything for free: “All you who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come, receive grain and eat; Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk! Why spend your money for what is not bread; your wages for what fails to satisfy? Heed me, and you shall eat well, you shall delight in rich fare. Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life. I will renew with you the everlasting covenant, the benefits assured to David” (Is 55,1-3). The signs of truth are all there. There is no lack of one of them.

He 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 from there. 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. They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Yesterday’s modality, today’s modality, usual modality. Whoever wants to credibly announce the mysteries of the kingdom of God, he must also show the kingdom of God. He will show it by doing its works. What are the works today that attest that we are of the kingdom that we announce? The great love, the great communion among the very disciples who proclaim the kingdom. Two disciples who live by mutual love is the true sign.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints arrange that the never the sign of love is missing in the disciples.