"No Purse nor Bag nor Sandals nor Greeting"

“A direct mandate from Jesus to the 70 (72) he sent ahead on the way to Jerusalem (Lk. 10: 1-12).  Their mission would be direct and quick.  No purse; depend on God for their needs.  No bag to carry extra unnecessary clothing or a second pair of sandals.  Travel light so as not to overburden their strength like packing for a trip to who knows where.  Stopping to converse with strangers would interfere with the mission at hand.  Simple requirements to those preparing for a new position in life; the directives somehow lost 2,000 years later.    

How many young people today are given such instructions in lieu of cars, bank accounts, credit cards, and “if you can’t make it out there come on back home”, after several years of schooling and preparation for the work world they are pursuing.

No doubt, most of us in the older generations want to give our children the opportunity that perhaps many never had.  I remember never getting an allowance growing up.  My father said (coming from the Depression era) “you need to work for your spending money.  Work and save”, which my mother taught me to do, “then you’ll have the resources to buy what you want”.  Good advice and it taught me a work ethic I never forgot.  A work ethic I have witnessed over the years that seems to have slipped away.

These words from Jesus to his disciples were pertinent then, and the message is just as valuable today.  Parish Priests are not required to take a vow of poverty, but not very many make enough to live “high off the hog” so to speak.  Their mission is reaching souls (dependent on God), and dedicating their lives to following the Good Shepherd who goes after the lost sheep bringing it back to the fold, forgiving not condemning and sharing God’s Love without pay.  “Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give”.  (Mt. 10: 8). 

Of course, these children now young adults, most of whom will not seek Holy Orders or Religious Orders, are still entering a society where there will be Wolves on Wall Street, Seducers of their time for the benefit of greedy takers, and may be led to find direction going against their early years of security.  Each one of them must become astute to the trappings surrounding their new-found lives and understand that the extra baggage of insecurity can threaten their very existence.  

Traveling lightly means depending on the teaching of Jesus Christ so as not to be burdened with unnecessary chatter from those who are wolves in sheep clothing.  Be shrewd as servants, and simple as doves (Mt. 10: 16).   These words of Sacred Scripture are just as meaningful now as they were 2,000 years ago.  The trek into life, be it spiritual or secular, is just as dangerous without trust in God, the teaching of Jesus, and the dependence upon the Holy Spirit.  Remember, God is always involved in our lives, in and out of the Church.

Give our children as much as we are able, but include some responsible advice preparing them for a world that will not always be available from us, their guardians.  The disciples knew they would come back to the strength of Jesus’ presence, but that disappeared with His Ascension.  He hoped His mandate of traveling lightly, would penetrate their understanding and enable them to carry on without Him; and the Holy Spirit’s presence deep within their souls.