15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two.
(Mk 6:7-13)

In those days mass media didn't exist. In order to communicate a new idea one had to become an itinerant preacher or teacher. To proclaim the kingdom of God to Israel, he had to use the same method. He sent his apostles to become itinerant preachers. But before sending them out he had to warn them about the real possibility of earthly concerns becoming obstacles to their mission.

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.

The apprenticeship period is over. What they saw and heard from Jesus, they will do the same. The apostles are now truly apostles, for the Greek word means sent.

He instructed them to take nothing for the journey.

The apostles are to rely on God to provide for their needs as they carry out the mission entrusted to them by Jesus.

Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave.

Otherwise, instead of putting in their time and effort to preaching, they might use it to look for better accomodation.

Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.

When Jews from abroad would return to the Promised Land, they would shake the dust from their sandals. They would not want the dust of a foreign country to mingle with the sacred earth of the Promised Land. By shaking the dust from their sandals, the apostles would be telling the unbelieving town that they are no longer part of the true Israel.

They anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Then as now oil is used in the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick.

PARENTING

Jesus teaches us a lesson about parenting. Before sending the apostles out into the world to preach, Jesus prepared them first, by word and example.

The desire of every parent is for their children to have a bright future. They want them to be safe and secure when they set out on their own in the world of adults. For that to happen, parents will have to prepare them by what they say and do, like Jesus .

Here are some of what you can say or do in raising your children:

1. Be generous with praise but thrifty with blame.
Praise leads to self-confidence which is necessary for a person to succeed. Too much blame leads to inferiority complex.

2. To give your children a good education is not enough. You've got to help them get the most out of that education. Asians are outpeforming Americans. The secret? Parents make sure there is study time at home. And parents are there to enforce the study time and to tutor them. Olders siblings also help the younger ones.

3. Parents set the rules at home. Children are made to suffer the consequences when they break the rules.

4. Parents create for their children a home where they feel they belong. How? By doing things together. It is not so important what is done. What is more important is that they do it together.

5. The best gift parents can give to their children is to become the best persons that they can possibly be. When that happens, parents become an source of inspiration and example for their children.

Dear parents, if you miss an appointment, you can ask for another. But if you miss the growing years of your children, there is no way to bring it back again. Be there for your children.